January 9th, 2008
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Props: CardPlayer.com
Quoteworthy:
“The host of the event is UFC fighter Randy Couture…. Owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban, Jose Canseco, and Montel Williams are scheduled to attend, along with poker players Jamie Gold, Sammy Farha, Todd Brunson, Hoyt Corkins, and Pam Brunson. The buy-in is $550 with $200 rebuys and one $200 add-on at the first break. Seating is limited to 150 players, but there are still seats available and open to the public…. Players will compete for a guaranteed prize pool [$50,000], and the additional money will be donated to the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation….”
Mark Cuban? Conspiracy theorists conspire! For more on the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation and “Operation All In” go here. Sign-up if you can muster up the buy-in — it sounds like a great time … and an even greater cause.
Written by admin on January 9th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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Top welterweight contender Jon Fitch (15-2) has signed the bout agreement to fight Akihiro Gono (27-12-7) at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” on March 1 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) just learned.
We first passed along the possibility of the match up back in November 2007. Since that time it is believed that his representives were pushing hard for a showdown with Karo Parisyan.
It apparently didn’t happen.
In addition, the American Kickboxing Academy standout has re-signed with the organization for another three bouts. He is undefeated (7-0) in the Octagon since his debut in 2005. Fitch has also not lost a professional fight since 2002 — more than five years.
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“Gumby” is back!
Veteran Jeremy Horn (79-16-5) will fill-in for the injured Thales Leites against Nate Marquardt (25-7-2) at UFC 81: “Breaking Point” on February 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to UFC.com.
Here’s the full snip:
“Returning to the Octagon for the first time since back to back wins over Trevor Prangley and Chael Sonnen in 2005-2006 , respected middleweight contender Jeremy Horn will replace injured Thales Leites and face Nate Marquardt on February 2nd’s UFC 81 card in Las Vegas.”
At just 32 years old, Horn is already legend in the sport of mixed martial arts. He has competed off and on inside the Octagon since 1998. His last appearance was in May 2006, submitting Chael Sonnen via armbar at UFC 60: “Hughes vs. Gracie.”
The last two years Horn has taken a much deserved break from competition, focusing primarily on training fighters. However, he did take three fights during that time and lost two of them (Matt Lindland and Jorge Santiago).
Marquardt is looking to rebound from his loss to UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva, at UFC 73: “Stacked” back in July 2007. He was set to face Thales Leites (again), but the Brazilian sustained a broken hand while training for the bout and was forced to withdraw.
Let’s hope the condensed pre-fight training schedule does not affect Horn and we see a great fight on SuperBowl weekend.
For the latest UFC 81 fight card click here.
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We’ve been hearing a lot of feedback (good and bad) about the uncharacteristic takedowns Chuck Liddell implemented during his fight with Wanderlei Silva at UFC 79: “Nemesis.”
According to his long-time trainer, John Hackleman, in an interview with FightHype.com, the “Iceman” and fellow Pit team member Glover Teixera scripted the maneuver, dubbed “Ice Cliff,” before the fight.
In fact, Liddell brought in an Olympic-caliber wrestler to prepare him for the fight (there was a lot of pre-fight talk about “special guests” at the Liddell camp) or perhaps that split-second in round three.
The spinning back fist — another fresh twist from Liddell — was his own idea.
Whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
(Yes, I know. Liddell was a wrestler before he was a fighter. His recent M.O., however, has been one dimensional and overly reliant on the knockout.)
Note: In the interview Hackleman basically echoes recent statements from Liddell that a rematch with Keith Jardine would be a good idea for his next fight. In addition, he heaps praise on Lyoto Machida and indicates that he is “one of the least guys” he would like Chuck to fight.
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“… everybody with their own eyes saw he [Rich Clementi] wasn’t ready to stand up with me [at UFC 79]. He knew my weakness was my submission game as far as fighting him because he’s a seasoned jiu-jitsu guy — I’ll give him that. As far as me putting my hands on him, I got my respect out of him. So, I’m not even tripping, you know?… He really didn’t [win the fight]. He didn’t take my heart. I took his heart before he got in the ring. He was scared to fight me before he got in the ring. And, it’s like I tell everybody – and I’m going to keep saying it – when I see him again, I’m going to fight him again. When I get ready to go home for Mardi Gras, he just knows not to be seen. I went home for New Years and the places he wants to go, he wasn’t even there. He knew I was going to be there looking for him. He never showed up anywhere. As long as he keeps hiding from me, running from me, I’m winning the war every day. Eventually, we’ll get another rematch in the UFC …”
– Melvin Guillard talks about Rich Clementi via the Baltimore Sun after he lost via first round submission at UFC 79: “Nemesis” on December 29, 2007. The two Louisiana natives didn’t like each other very much before the fight and not much has changed since. Definitely read this entire interview if you have the chance … Melvin certainly does not charge per word. He also reveals that he plans to take a few fights outside the Octagon to get back on track in 2008.
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Less than two months removed from the 2007 Grand Prix Finals during which champions were crowned for the first time in the short history of the promotion, the International Fight League (IFL) will run another show on Friday, February 29, 2008, and put three titles back on the line.
According to a recent press release, middleweight champion Matt Horwich will take on the extremely game Tim Kennedy, who capped off a solid 2007 fight season with a stoppage of Elias Rivera at the Grand Prix just days after giving Mayhem Miller all he could handle at HDNet Fights: “Reckless Abandon.”
Ryan Shultz – who crushed and abused undefeated phenom Chris Horodecki in the first round during their lightweight title bout at the Grand Prix — will defend his belt for the first time against John Gunderson (the man who he replaced to face “The Polish Hammer”).
In addition, Roy Nelson will put his heavyweight crown on the line against IFL newcomer, Fabiano Scherner.
This event, which takes place at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, will also feature the team competitions between Matt Lindland’s Team Quest vs. Ken Shamrock’s Lions Den and Team Xtreme Couture vs. Mario Sperry’s MMA Top Team.
It’s the first time that Xtreme Couture and its Las Vegas-based fighters will be represented in the competition.
Here’s the fight card to date:
Prelim
145 lbs.: Ian Loveland vs. Dennis Davis
Team Xtreme Couture vs. MMA Top Team (Mario Sperry)
170 lbs.: TBD vs. Marcello Salazar
185 lbs.: Benji Radach vs. TBD
TBD: Match up TBD
Team Quest (Matt Lindland) vs. Lions Den (Ken Shamrock)
170 lbs.: TBD vs. Pat Healy
155 lbs.: Ryan Schultz vs. John Gunderson
265 lbs.: Roy Nelson vs. Fabiano Scherner
Main Event
185 lbs.: Tim Kennedy vs. Matt Horwich
For tickets, which go on sale as of January 12, head over to www.orleansarena.com or call (702) 284-7777. For more details hit up the IFL official Web site.
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Props: CliveBarker.info
Quoteworthy:
“Midnight Meat Train is a horror film based on Clive Barker’s 1984 short story of the same name, which can be found in the short story collections the Books of Blood. The film will follow a NYC photographer who attempts to track down a serial killer dubbed the ‘Subway Butcher’ and discovers more than he bargained for under the city streets. When Leon Kaufman’s latest body of work – a collection of provocative, nighttime studies of the city and its inhabitants — earns the struggling photographer interest from prominent art gallerist Susan Hoff (Brooke Shields), she propels him to get grittier and show the darker side of humanity for his upcoming debut at her downtown art space. Believing he’s finally on track for success, Leon’s obsessive pursuit of dark subject matter leads him into the path of a serial killer, Mahogany, the subway murderer who stalks late-night commuters — ultimately butchering them in the most gruesome ways imaginable. With his concerned girlfriend Maya (Leslie Bibb) fearing for his life, Leon’s relentless fascination with Mahogany lures him further and further into the bowels of the subways and ultimately into an abyss of pure evil – inadvertently pulling Maya right along with him.”
UFC champion Rampage Jackson landed a role in Clive Barker’s “Midnight Meat Train” — a horror film (not a porno) — that is scheduled to for release on May 16, 2008. Jackson will also be featured on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 as a coach on SpikeTV’s mixed martial arts reality series, which is slated to debut in April . In addition, there is some chatter that he is working on another reality series in which his parents move in and help him raise his four children.
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