Matt Lindland comments on allegations of marijuana theft

Collegiate Champion. Olympic Silver Medalist. Politician. Pioneering Mixed Martial Artist. UFC/Strikeforce veteran. Marijuana Thief? Before this past week only the first five labels had ever been assigned to Matt Lindland, a middleweight typically known for his work with Team Quest, success in the ring, and generally quiet, albeit principled, personal life. However, all that changed [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2011/03/10/matt-lindland-comments-on-allegations-of-marijuana-theft/

Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović

World Victory Road loses primary sponsor, Japan's Sengoku event series on deathbed

On the same day a massive earthquake rocked Japan, one of the country's largest mixed-martial-arts promotions announced some troubling news of its own.

World Victory Road, home to the Sengoku Raiden Championship event series that airs on HDNet in the U.S., has lost its biggest sponsor, Don Quijote.

Officials today announced the news and hinted that - with the organization's dependence on sponsors - Sengoku's promotional days may be over.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/l3Fqhs06ClM/world-victory-road-loses-primary-sponsor-japans-sengoku-event-series-on-deathbed.mma

Sean Salmon Diego Sanchez Jorge Santiago Evangelista Santos

Backstage TNA News: Bischoff Promoted Hart To WWE

– Eric Bischoff recently accepted a position as an executive producer for TNA Wrestling. One of his duties is to represent the organization in their various dealings with Spike TV executives. Bischoff and his production company partner Jason Hervey are also producing Micro Championship Wrestling, a reality show recently acquired by truTV. Hulk Hogan participated in a television taping yesterday in Tampa, Florida. – Jimmy Hart parting ways with TNA Wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment last week is not considered a big loss within the Nashville based organization. Hart was described as being ...

Source: http://www.ifight365.com/2011/03/backstage-tna-news-bischoff-promoted-hart-to-wwe/

Bobby Lashley Joe Lauzon Mo Lawal Ruthless Robbie Lawler

Coenen keeps Strikeforce belt with comeback win over Carmouche

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the battle for Strikeforce women's welterweight championship, Marloes Coenen held onto her belt after being dominated by Liz Carmouche for two rounds at Nationwide Arena on Saturday. 

Coenen charged in from the opening bell and landed strikes early, but had a hard time closing the distance. She solved that problem by grabbing Carmouche for a clinch, and landing knees and body strikes. They were separated by referee Greg Franklin (UFC fighter Rich's brother). Coenen landed more punches after the break up, gaining an edge before the horn sounded.

In the second round, Carmouche tried to use her grappling skills to get Coenen down to the ground but found herself in a guillotine. Coenen cranked on her neck and brought the fight to the ground but Carmouche got out and moved to side control.  She threw several knees at Coenen's shoulder and then moved to full mount. For the final minute of the round, Carmouche rained down blows. Coenen defended, but was unable to get out from underneath Carmouche's tight grip. 

By the third round, Coenen tried to take the fight back with striking, but Carmouche again got a takedown and moved to full mount with more than two minutes left in the round. She used the rest of the round to throw punch after punch, but couldn't finish the bout. 

Coenen had the takedown in the fourth round, where she locked in a tight triangle choke. Carmouche had nowhere to go, and the fight was stopped at 1:29.

Carmouche took this bout on short notice after Miesha Tate had to pull out because of injury. She was impressive on less than two weeks notice, and served notice that she is a fighter to watch. She said that she thought she was winning, but couldn't finish.

Coenen was just as impressed.

"I want to make sure everyone gets respect for her, because she will be the champ one day," Coenen said. She also talked about who she wants to fight next.

"Scott Coker is the boss, but Miesha, if you're watching at home, I recommend you."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Coenen-keeps-Strikeforce-belt-with-comeback-win-?urn=mma-330195

Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz  Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen 

UFC NEWS: Chris Lytle underwent knee surgery prior to UFC 127, pondering retirement following loss to Brian Ebersole

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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Unbeknownst to all but his own camp, Chris Lytle took his fight with Brian Ebersole at UFC 127 in less than optimal condition, and following a loss to Ebersole that snapped a four fight winning streak, the 36-year-old is considering retirement.

According to a report from MMAFighting.com, Lytle underwent surgery on his knee just four weeks prior to UFC 127 to remove an injured meniscus. Per his manager Ken Pavia, the surgery started as an exploratory procedure, but due to the damage the doctors removed the entire meniscus.

Lytle had stayed silent on the injury and didn't want to devalue Ebersole's win in any way, and Pavia only relented after pressed on the subject with other sources revealing the injury.

Though Lytle is only 9-10 in 19 fights in the organization, he went 7-4 over his last 11, including that four fight win streak. The always exciting Lytle earned Fight Night bonuses in eight of those fights in the Octagon, including the bout with Ebersole which earned him $75,000 as the "Fight of the Night." That eighth bonus ties him with UFC Middleweight Champ Anderson Silva for most in UFC history.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: It was a mistake for Lytle to take this fight. When Carlos Condit pulled out, Lytle did not need to tough it out and stay on this card, especially with a serious knee surgery taking place a month before the replacement fight. No offense intended on Ebersole, who more than earned his win on Saturday, but he did not possess a name that brought fan interest to the fight, and Lytle risked being derailed on his path to a title shot, and that's what happened. He may have finished his career on a fight he didn't need to take, coming in less than 100% and losing to a fighter he probably shouldn't have lost to. It was unfortunately a poor decision on his part, but if he's done then fans can all thank him for the excitement he almost always brought to the cage, and he can leave with the knowledge that his fights were always enjoyed by millions of fans.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_8615.shtml

Keigo Kunihara Mike Kyle Achmed Labasanov Jason Lambert

UFC NEWS: UFC confirms remaining bouts, start times for UFC 128 "Shogun vs. Jones"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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The UFC has officially confirmed the remaining bouts for next Saturday's UFC 128 event from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and in addition have revealed the start times for the three separate broadcasts of the event on Facebook.com, Spike TV and pay-per-view.

Beginning at 8PM ET, two preliminary card bouts will air on Facebook in Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau and Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle.

At 9PM ET, the hour long Prelims Live broadcast on Spike TV begins with Luiz Cane vs. Eliot Marshall and Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani.

Finally, the pay-per-view broadcast gets under way at 10PM ET, with the main card headlined by the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship bout between Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Jon Jones. The night's full lineup is below:

Main Pay-Per-View Card

* Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Jon Jones (Light Heavyweight Championship)
* Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland
* Mirko Cro Cop vs. Brendan Schaub
* Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Nate Marquardt
* Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus

Spike TV Prelims Live

* Luiz Cane vs. Eliot Marshall
* Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani

Facebook.com Prelims

* Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle

Preliminary Card

* Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland
* Raphael Assuncao vs. Erik Koch
* Dan Miller vs. Nick Catone

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_8700.shtml

Victor Valimaki Mike Van Arsdale Paul Varelans Jovany Anaconda Varela

STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Paul Daley unhappy with UFC purchase of Strikeforce, hints at backing out of April 9 bout with Nick Diaz

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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"And since we don't have to hide it anymore - Diaz vs. Daley tickets for April 9th are on sale today!"

That tweet from the UFC's official Twitter account was the first of what is sure to be many surreal instances of the UFC promoting a Strikeforce event now that they've purchased the competing organization. But one of the competitors in that particular April 9 fight isn't very happy with today's news.

Paul Daley was released from the UFC in 2010 after sucker-punching Josh Koscheck following his loss at UFC 113, with UFC President Dana White saying Daley would never again fight in the UFC. He reiterated that stance when talking to Ariel Helwani at MMAFighting.com about Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce, but stated Daley's deal with Strikeforce would be honored.

However, now Daley has come out and said he's not sure if he'll be taking the fight on April 9 with Nick Diaz now that this news has come out. Here's Daley on his Facebook page:

"Business as usual, what if i dont wanna fight for DANA WHITE/ZUFFA?......Dana white bans me for life from the UFC, Then buys STRIKEFORCE, and thinks im still gonna be EASY and fight on one of the most anticipated fights of the year (vs Diaz)? Which will no doubt make ZUFFA/Dana White money.

Daley vs Diaz still on?.....Someone better holla at my manager real quick."

He followed that up with a couple of posts on The Underground forum, stating he's not sure what he's going to do.

"Not sure what im gonna do right now, honestly... fight for the Strikeforce and be Strikeforce champ, put money in ZUFFA/Dana Whites pockets? Or fight here in the UK for BAMMA, who appreciate my brand, and have my loyal fans, family and media support me. For real."

"I have a great deal at BAMMA(.com) and make just as much money, believe or not...as i do in the USA. They appreciate my services, and what i bring to the company. There is till alot of competition out there, NOT all the best fighters are with the UFC/STRIKEFORCE, just they get the most recognition."

There could be some immediate consequences to this announcement from the UFC, and we'll see over the next several days whether Daley pulls himself out of this fight.

Penick's Analysis: Daley taking himself out of this fight because of the UFC's purchase of Strikeforce is a terrible move. He's continued to show zero remorse for his actions last year and he's taken no responsibility for them. His reaction has been "f*** them" and this would further that. He's made no attempts to repair the bridge he burned, and pulling out of this fight would do even more damage to the relationships he still has in North America. Obviously he might not care about that at this point, but it's a mistake to burn those bridges even further.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Affliction2/article_8732.shtml

Tito Ortiz Alexander Otsuka Alistair Overeem Valentijn Overeem

Jon Jones: 'I Absolutely Hate When People Mention Rashad Evans'

Filed under:

A few months ago Jon Jones and Rashad Evans would have both sworn up and down that they'd never fight each other, and that they wanted only the best for one another even as the two teammates both chased UFC light heavyweight gold.

But with Jones' title shot at UFC 128 against champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua just around the corner, those days are now but a distant memory.

While Jones described Evans as a friend on Wednesday's UFC media call, he also insisted that won't be thinking at all about his teammate at the Jackson squad when he takes on Rua in Newark, New Jersey next Saturday night. Even if he got the title shot only after an injury knocked Evans out of the main event, Jones was in no mood to discuss the fighter he's described in previous interviews as a mentor and a big brother.

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/03/09/jon-jones-i-absolutely-hate-when-people-mention-rashad-evans/

Ralek Gracie Renzo Gracie Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie

BELLATOR NEWS: Season four lightweight tourney field discuss first round matchups at Bellator 36

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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Bellator's season four lightweight tournament kicks off this Saturday on MTV2 with Bellator 36 from the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Louisiana, and the organization has released some comments from all eight fighters about their first round matchups and this tournament field ahead of Saturday's event. Check them out below:

"Razor" Rob McCullough vs. Patricky Freire

McCullough: "I think everyone says they're going to stand and strike with me, but then when it comes down to it, they're going to try to take me down. I don't expect Patricky to be any different, so it's all good. I hope he tries to stand with me. That would be awesome, but it doesn't matter to me. Anywhere this fight goes, I plan on finishing it.

I have a whole new focus in life. My mind is right, my training is on point, my timing is there, my conditioning is there - I'm ready to do this. I have a family to provide for, so this is serious business. This fight is kill or be killed in my mind.

I plan on getting in that cage and leaving my mark. This is a tournament fight, and I'm not planning on it going three rounds. I plan on putting a stamp on this puppy. I'm pacing back and forth just thinking about it. I'm ready to get to work."


Freire: "The chance to face a former world champion in my first fight in the United States is an excellent opportunity for me. I'm ready to make the most of it.

I'm coming into this fight knowing that the odds are on his side. He is favored, and I am the underdog. Rob is strong and a great striker, but I think fans are going to be in for quite a surprise.

I know "Razor" Rob is a former Muay Thai Champion, and I'm prepared to stand and trade strikes with him. I?m prepared for any situation."


Michael Chandler vs. Marcin Held

Chandler: "If I decide to take the fight to the ground, that's where I'm going to take it. But at the same time, I will have the option to keep the fight standing, because I truly feel like I'm better than Marcin in all aspects of the sport.

I'm coming out in this fight with Held to send a direct message to anyone else I might be fighting in the future. I'm planning on going out there and putting on a completely dominant performance in front of hundreds of thousands of fans on MTV2. People are going to know that I'm the real deal.

This is my big coming out party, live on MTV2. I want to to win this tournament more than anybody else, and I have the ability to win this tournament more than anybody else. People are going to see that on Saturday night."


Held: "I know that Michael Chandler is very good fighter, but in this tournament there are no weak fighters. I am happy that I have the opportunity to fight against a fighter like Chandler.

I want to put on a good fight. I'm going to go out there and do my very best, and if I win, then for sure people will keep an eye on me.

I think that I am completely prepared for Michael Chandler. Wrestling is his strongest skill. I know this and respect this, but I am not worried."

Carey Vanier vs. Lloyd Woodard

Vanier: I'm definitely confident that I have what it takes to send Lloyd home with his first defeat. I'm always confident. It doesn't matter if my opponent is undefeated or not, I always feel like I have what it takes to put whoever is standing in front of me away.

I don't think that Lloyd [Woodard] has ever fought anyone like me. I feel like I'm a tougher fighter than the guys he's come across in the past. I think I'm going to show him something that he hasn't seen before.

I can honestly say that Lloyd isn't going to be able to show me anything that I haven't seen before. Training down at Greg Jackson's, I've been blessed to be able to see it all. From Jon Jones to Donald Cerrone, it still amazes me that I get to spar with some of these guys and see all of these different things.

Woodard: I know Carey Vanier is a talented fighter with strong wrestling and really good takedowns. I'm training to fight the best Carey Vanier ever right now. I know he's been training down at Greg Jackson's, so I'm sure he's been working on the mistakes I've noticed from his last couple fights. I'm also pretty confident that he's going to be showing up in shape, so I'm ready for the best he has to offer. I really want this fight to be a battle.

I just like being in really exciting fights. I honestly wouldn't mind if this fight with Carey turned into a war. I'm actually hoping that it does. My coach hates it. I go in there wanting to be really technical, but once that adrenaline starts going I just can't help myself. I fight better when I get rocked. It makes me step my game up that much more.

Carey is definitely one of the toughest guys I've fought up to this point, and I expect for him to be tough. I don't expect for any of my opponents from this point on to ever not be really tough, which is great because that allows me to showcase more of my skills.

Toby Imada vs. Ferrid Kheder

Imada: I think judo could possibly end up playing a role in this fight with Ferrid, but I can't go in there thinking it's a judo match, because it's not. I think that the second I go in there trying to play judo with him could be where I mess up, so I'm just going to go into the cage looking at it like it is?a fight.

I don't see this fight with Ferrid going the distance. I'm definitely hoping that it doesn't go the distance. My goal is to make sure that it doesn't especially after the way the decision went in my fight with Pat Curran. I never want to leave my fate in the judge's hands again.

I'm going out there in this fight with Ferrid to make it count and to make it look good. If he doesn't see me as a threat, then that's his mistake ? works out better for me.

Kheder: Toby is a great fighter. He's always in there looking to put on a show. He fights like I fight, always looking to finish. I think that's going to lead to us being the best fight of the night.

Fighting is not about dancing around the cage and hoping to get the takedown, I don't believe in that. The fight is supposed to be exciting. If I wanted to win a fight with just good takedowns, I would have stuck to judo.

Toby has a judo background like me, and I know he has good submissions. Besides that, his recent performance at the S-Cup showed me that he's a good striker as well. With that being said, I think I'm better than him everywhere, and now it's up to me to show the world that what I'm saying is the truth.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Bellator/article_8718.shtml

Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah