MMA NEWS

International Fight League: Pat Healy replacement for Antonio McKee at 2007 IFL World Grand Prix Tournament [Posted 11th September 2007]
The St. Louis-native and representative of the Nevada ‘Lions’ team, Pat Healy (pictured below), will replace the Tokyo ‘Sabres’ Antonio McKee in the welterweight division of the 2007 IFL World Grand Prix. The semi-finals are to held at the Sears Centre, Chicago IL, on 3rd November 2007.

The IFL is primarily a team-based mixed martials art league, but the World Grand Prix is a worthy offshoot that celebrates great fighters in the organisation via this individual all-star competition.

As a result of McKee’s withdrawal, Healy shifts up to No.4 seed and will face the New York ‘Pitbulls’ No.1 seed Delson Heleno in the Welterweight division clash. The finals take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn, on 29th December 2007.

A post fight report will be available here on MATV.

World Extreme Cagefighting: ‘WEC 30: McCULLOUGH VS. CRUNKILTON’ Results [Posted 9th September 2007]
The results from ‘WEC 30’ held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, on 5th September 2007, are as follows: – Ian McCall defeats Coty Wheeler by TKO (Strikes) in round 3 (4:34) – Blas Avena defeats Joe Benoit by Submision (Guillotine Choke) in round 1 (0:29) – Donald Cerrone defeats Kenneth Alexander by Submission (Triangle Choke) in round 1 (0:56) – Bryan Baker defeats Jesse Forbes by TKO (Punches) in round 1 (4:15) – Marcus Hicks defeats Scott McAfee by Submision (Guillotine Choke) in round 1 (2:15) – John Alessio defeats Marcelo Brito by Decision (Unanimous) in round 3 (5:00) – Miguel Torres defeats Jeff Bedard by Submission (Triangle Choke) in round 1 (2:30) – Brian Stann defeats Jeremiah Billington by TKO (Punches) in round 1 (3:07) – Chase Beebe defeats Rani Yahya by Decision (Unanimous) in round 5 (5:00) – Rob McCullough defeats Richard Crunkilton by TKO (Punches) in round 1 (1:29)

Next WEC bout features Urijah Faber vs Jeff Curran for the WEC featherweight title.

Judo World Cup: Men’s ‘2007 GB Judo World Cup’ Preview [Posted 6th September 2007]
This year’s GB Judo World Cup will be held over 2 days at the NIA (National Indoor Arena), Birmingham, UK from 22nd September 2007. Being one of the prime events on Grand Prix style European circuit, the GBJWC provides many of the top Judo competitors a means of qualification for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

As a result, this event will attract the best athletes worldwide as well as domestic British talent. The British Judo squad includes the current World and European Champion, and midlands localboy, Craig Fallon, plus other fellow Brits and European medallists, Euan Burton, Peter Cousins and Winston Gordon, and former US Open Champion, Bobby Rich.

Annually the GBJWC alternates between the men and women. In 2006 Birmingham hosted the GBJWC for the women’s division, with many great sporting nations in attendance, including Cuba, China, Russia, Germany, USA, Canada, Sweden, Ireland, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal. A similar turnout is expected for the mens tournament this September.

A post fight report will be available here on MATV.

World Ultimate Full Contact Championship: “XIII Trofeu Feira de São Mateus” – 25th WUFC Championship Results [Posted 29th August 2007]
This years WUFC event, co-sanctioned by other major organizations such PLP, UIPDA, EFP, IFMA-FF, GBMA, UKMMAC, WKU, WKL, was held at Viseu, Portugal, on 25th August 2007.

The official results are as follows:

60KG
Semi-Final: Vivier Gregory (Sweden) defeated Quali Lari (Belgiun)

Final: Ashugyan Andranik (Russia) became World Champion defeating Vivier Gregory (Sweden)

65KG

Semi-final: Khanipaev Usman (Dagestan Rep.) defeated Philipe Santos (Brazil)

Final: Michal Harmsmid (Czech Rep.) became World Champion defeating Khanipaev Usman (Dagestan Rep.)


75KG 

Eliminatory: Sandro Nobrega (Portugal) defeated Dinauta Anthony (Italy)

Semi-final:Bektemirov Aslan (Dagestan Rep.) defeated Sandro Nobrega (Portugal)

Semi-final: Benchadi Cherif (France) defeated Aurio Teixeira (Brazil)

Final: Bektemirov Aslan (Dagestan Rep.) became World Champion defeating Benchadi Cherif (France)



85KG
Semi-final: Bektemirov Medzid (Rep. Dagestan) defeated Jaroslav Poborsky (Czech Rep.) 

Final: Bektemirov Medzid (Dagestan Rep.) became World Champion defeating Divino Rui (Brazil)



95KG 

Final: Raslov Salimogery (Rep. Dagestan) became World Champion defeating Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)


100KG 

Final: Magomedov Shamil (Dagestan Rep.) became World Champion
+100Kg / Absoluts
Gonçalo Salgado (Portugal) defeated João Rodrigues (Portugal)

ABSOLUTOS:
Magomedov Shamil (Dagestan Rep.) became World Champion defeating Gonçalo Salgado (Portugal)

International Fights:

Thai Full Contact: Phil Melia (England) defeated Cedric Marin (Switzerland)

Full-Contact 5×2: Fernando Soares (Portugal) defeated David Uberti (Italy)

Full-Contact w/low kicks: Augusto Miguel (Angola) defeated Marc McDonald (England)


Full-Contact 3×2: Vitaliy Kalynyuk (Ukraine), Luís Neves (Portugal), Parente (Portugal), Ilya Popov (Ukraine), Oscar Nave (Portugal), André Batista (Portugal) e Diogo Vieira (Portugal)

International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation: ‘2007 IBJJF Mundials Black Belt’ Results [Posted 27th August 2007]
The results from the Mundials Finals held yesterday, are as follows:

ABSOLUTE:
Roger Gracie (Gracie Barra) submitted Rômulo Barral (Gracie Barra) with a choke


ROOSTER:
Bruno Malfacine (UGF) submitted Yusuke Honma (Paraestra) with a choke

SUPER FEATHER:
Robson Moura (Nova União) defeated Samuel Cruz (Gracie Barra) by advantages (4 to 2)

FEATHER:
Rubens Charles (Alliance) submitted Mario Reis (Gracie Barra) with a choke from the back

LIGHT:
Lucas Lepri (Alliance) submitted Michel Maia (Nova União) with a choke

MIDDLE:
André Galvão (Brasa) and Lucas Leite (Brasa) will not dispute final. According to Brasa, Lucas Leite will receive the medal

MEDIUM HEAVY:
Rômulo Barral (Gracie Barra) defeated Saulo Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá) by 6 to 0

HEAVY:
Xande Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá) defeated Roberto Tussa (Gracie Barra) with a choke from the mount

SUPER HEAVY:
Roger Gracie (Gracie Barra) submitted Robert Drysdale (Brasa) with a choke from the back

SUPER SUPER HEAVY:
Rafael Lovato Jr. (Gracie Humaitá) defeated Luiz Big Mac (Godói JJ) by judges’ decision

At the 5th attempt, Roger Gracie (pictured above) won the ‘Absolute’ division with a long line of submissions, including Romulo Barral in the final bout via Choke.

Ultimate Fighting Championship: ‘UFC 74: RESPECT’ Results [Posted 27th August 2007]
The results from UFC: 74 held yesterday at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas NV, are as follows:

Marcus Aurelio vs. Clay Guida
-Guida wins by split decision

Ryan Jensen vs. Thales Leites
-Leites by armbar round 1

David Heath vs. Renato Sobral
-Sobral by anaconda choke round 2

Patrick Cote vs. Kendall Grove
-Cote by RNC round 1

Kurt Pellegrino vs. Joe Stevenson
-Stevenson by decision round 3

Alberto Crane vs. Roger Huerta
-Huerta wins by referee stoppage due to unanswered punches – round 3

Josh Koscheck vs. Georges St. Pierre
-St. Pierre by decision – round 3

Randy Couture (pictured below) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
-Couture wins by referee stoppage due to unanswered punches – round 3

UFC Legend, Randy Couture (above), overcome his younger opponent Gabriel Gonzaga to retain the UFC Heavy Weight title at the age of 44.

Next Upcoming UFC event: ‘UFC 75: Champion V Champion’ at O2 Centre, London, England, on 8th September 2007.

World Ultimate Full Contact: “XIII Trofeu Feira De Sao Mateus” – 25th WUFC Championship Preview [Posted 22nd August 2007]
The annual WUFC Championship has received a large fan base for its showcase of MMA in recent years and will be celebrating its quarter-century insertion at Viseu, Portugal, on 25th August 2007.

A breadth of fighters from 20 countries around the world, and a large assembly of homegrown talent, will be competing under the Thai and Kick rules as recognized by WUFC, UIPDA/ Traditional Pankradtion, PLP/ Professional Pankration, EFP/ Pancrase, IFMA-FF/ Free Fight, UKMMAC/ Mixed Martial Arts, GBMA/ Martial Arts, and WKU & WKL/ World Kickboxing bodies.

Roaster of fighters that will feature during the event:

Augusto Miguel (Angola)
Larry Ouali (Belgium)
Boulvin Ludo (Belgium)
Divino Rui (Brazil)
António Rubens (Brazil)
Phylipe Santos (Brazil)
Aurio Teixeira (Brazil)
Michal Hamrsmid (Rep. Czech)
Jaroslav Poborsky (Rep. Czech)
Hanipaev Imanalievich (Rep. Dagestan)
Bektemirov Yusupovich (Rep. Dagestan)
José Aquino (Rep. Dominican)
Rafael Peña (Rep. Dominican)
Roberto Lora (Rep. Dominican)
Darren Whewell (England)
Phil Melia (England)
Samir Ghilmanou (France)
Mehdi Hanni (France)
David Uberti (Italy)
Luís Neves (Portugal)
Joaquim Rodrigues (Portugal)
Óscar Nave (Portugal)
André Batista (Portugal)
Fernando Soares (Portugal)
João Rodrigues (Portugal)
Mauro Amaral (Portugal)
Afonso Parente (Portugal)
Sandro Nóbrega (Portugal)
Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
Gonçalo Salgado (Portugal)
Ashugyan Andranik (Russia)
Medzhid Yusupovich (Russia)
Rasulov Abdulatipovich (Russia)
Magomedov Magomedovich (Russia)
Abdurahimov Gentovich (Russia)
Manu Garcia (Spain)
Gregory Vivier (Sweden)
Cedric Marin (Switzerland)
Vitaliy Kalynyuk (Ukraine)
Illya Popov (Ukraine)

Other fighters will be announced on the opening.

A post fight report will be available here on MATV.

Ultimate Fighting Championship: ‘UFC 77: Hostile Territory’ Preview [Posted 21st August 2007]
On home turf and with great support from the crowd, Rich “Ace” Franklin will be fire-up about his tile bout against the current champion, Anderson “The Spider” Silva. The UFC Middleweight World Championship will be held live from the US Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, on 20th October 2007.

This is a much anticipated rematch, and first ever UFC event to be held in Cincinnati. Both fighters have been in impressive form since their last confrontation back in October 2006, when the roles were reversed. The former Middleweight titleholder, lost to Silva in a shocking first round. Since then, Franklin (24-2) has fought his way up the pecking order to the prime contenders’ spot.

The current champion has defended his belt successfully on two occasions over the past year. Another exceptional Brazilian fighter, Silva (19-4) has applied his knowledge in BJJ to devastating effect. His first title defence was intended to be against Travis Lutter, but complications with the challenger’s weight meant the contest was rearranged as a non-championship bout. Silva finished Lutter in the second round via submission.

Sidelined for almost a year, Brandon “The Truth” Vera will feature at UFC: 77 in the heavyweight match up against former UFC Champion Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia. Matters outside of the ring with his management, meant Vera wasn’t be to compete inside the Octagon.

Now Vera (8-0) is back and eager to build upon previous momentum from last year that saw him rise through the ranks. His opponent is no pushover, having been only the second fighter in UFC history to be crowned heavyweight champion twice. Sylvia (25-3) is looking to add to that tally and matching Randy Couture’s record of three times champion.

A post fight report will be available here on MATV.

Ultimate Fighting Championship: Brazilian MMA star Wanderlei Silva signs for UFC [Posted 18th August 2007]
It has been a long time coming, but UFC President Dana White has finally got his man. Since his initial debut for UFC in 1998 against Vitor Belfort, the Brazilian legend Wanderlei Silva, known to many MMA fans as “The Axe Murderer”, only fought a further two fights in the Octagon before leaving for Japan and forging a great reputation in the PRIDE organization.

The former PRIDE Champion could return to fighting in the UFC Octagon this coming December. His career in the MMA sport began in his native Brazil over a decade ago while competing in various Vale Tudo bouts.

There was a short stint in UFC, before joining PRIDE and claiming the middleweight championship while overcoming stiff competition in the form of current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson, Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Ricardo Arona, Hidehiko Yoshida, and Kazuyuki Fujita, defeating some on more than one occasion.

The 205-pound fighter will have fully recuperated from his PRIDE contest last February against Dan Henderson. Silva (31-7-1) will become a great acquisition for UFC with the likes of former Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell ready to take him on.

Next Upcoming UFC event: ‘UFC: 74 Respect’ at Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV on 25th August 2007.

International Fight League: ‘IFL’s 2007 World Championship’ Rosters Announced [Posted 15th August 2007]
The finale to the IFL 2007 season will be decided between the Quad Cities ‘Silverbacks’ and New York ‘Pitbulls’ on 20th September 2007 at the Semihole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida.

Last year’s losing finalists, Renzo Gracie’s Pitbulls will be up against the defending Champions of Pat Miletich’s Silverbacks once again. The previous meeting between these teams resulted in a 3-2 victory for the Silverbacks on 23rd September 2006, in Moline, IL.

This time round the key confrontations will be in the heavyweight division between Bryan Vetell (Jamaica, N.Y.) of the Pitbulls and Ben Rothwell (Milwaukee, Wis.), as well as middleweights Fabio Leopoldo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) of Pitbulls and Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) representing the Silverbacks. By carrying an impressive 8-0 IFL record into this event, Rothwell will be looking to extend his unbeaten run against Vetell and the Silverback’s title defence.

In addition to the Championship clash, there will be IFL stars featured during preliminary bouts against members of the Florida-based American Top Team. Including IFL lightweight Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) of the Portland ‘Wolfpack’ against American Top Team’s Aaron Riley (Port St. Lucie, Fla.).

Prior to the official weigh-in on 19th September 2007, each coach will determine the bout order. The full rosters for the Finals are as follows:

No. 4 Silverbacks (2-1 regular season team, 9-6 indiv.) vs. No. 2 Pitbulls (3-0, 10-5)
155 lb.: Bart Palaszewski (Wonder Lake, Ill.) (8-1 IFL, 28-8 overall) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) (2-0, 8-2)
170 lb.: TBD vs. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (4-2, 11-3)
185 lb.: Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) (4-4, 10-5) vs. Fabio Leopoldo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (3-1, 5-2)
205 lb: Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) (5-2, 13-2) vs. Jamal Patterson (Hoboken, N.J.) (3-1, 3-1)
265 lb.: Ben Rothwell (Milwaukee, Wis.) (7-0, 22-5) vs. Bryan Vetell (Jamaica, N.Y.) (2-2, 3-2)

Preliminary Bouts
155 lb.: Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) (3-2, 16-9-1) vs. Aaron Riley (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) (0-0, 23-9-1)
170 lb.: Brad Blackburn (Olympia, Wash.) (3-2, 10-9) vs. Travis Cox (Naples, Fla.) (0-0, 4-4)
205 lb.: Allan Goes (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (3-1, 10-5-2) vs. Chris Baten (Tampa, Fla.) (0-0, 5-2)
265 lb.: Rolles Gracie (New York) (0-0, 0-0) vs. Seth Petruzelli (Orlando, Fla.) (0-0, 7-4)

Next Upcoming IFL event: ‘IFL World Grand Prix’ at Sears Centre, Chicago, IL on 3rd November 2007.

International Fight League: ‘IFL Battleground’ Preview [Posted 13th August 2007]
Final spots for the IFL Grand Prix will be on all the athletes’ minds tonight [August 13th]. The debut of IFL’s full regular season is drawing to a close and there are still gains to be made. Ken Shamrock will be leading his Nevada ‘Lions’ team into battle against the Tucson ‘Scorpions’, coached by world champion Don Frye.

The rising stars of the Lions team, Roy “Big Country” Nelson and John Gunderson will have their sights on the individual belt competition. Previously undefeated light-heavyweight Mike Whitehead and Lions welterweight Pat Healy also have their hopes pinned on making the cut.

Gracie-Barra: Marbella ‘Open Grappling Tournament’ Results [Posted 12th August 2007]

The first annual ‘Marbella Open Grappling’, co-organised by Gracie-Barra and other leading MMA groups, was held at Soul Beach, Puerto Banus, Marbella, Spain yesterday.

The event was divided between beginner and advanced weight divisions, with over 70 competitors in involved.
Individual Results:
The following are the results of the individual competition finals (Gold and Silver medalist):
Beginner 66 kg
Magnus Johnson (Team Choco) def. Ignacio Barrachina (ASES)

Beginner 77 kg
David Allen (Team Choco) def. Juan Felgueroso (GBM)

Beginner 88 kg
Saul Burillo (ASES) def. Pipo (Sur Union)

Beginner 99 kg
David Jacare (Sur Union) def. Kevin Mohr (Team Choco)

Beginner 99+ kg
Gran Eu (Sur Union) def. Miguel Kama (Zarate Team)

Advanced 66 kg
Fran Alcalde (Sur Union) def. Luis Quiñones (Sur Union)

Advanced 77 kg
Oriol Gaset (Alianza-MMA) def. Agusto Aloisio (Gracie-Barra Marbella)

Advanced 88 kg
Fredson (ASES) def. Leandro Galati (Gracie-Barra Marbella)

Advanced 99 kg
Jose Antonio Merida (Gracie-Barra Marbella) def. Pedro Carvalho (Werdum Zaragoza)

Absolute Beginner
Guara (Gracie-Barra Marbella) def. Nicolae Bogdan (Werdum Zaragoza)

Absolute Advanced
Oriol Gaset (Alianza-MMA) def. Pedro Carvalho (Werdum Zaragoza)

Absolute Elite
Fran Alcalde (Sur Union) def. Leandro (Gracie-Barra Marbella)

Team Results:
Sur Union (38 points)
Gracie-Barra Marbella (22 points)
ASES Valencia (19 points)
Team Choco (19 points)
Alianza-MMA (18 points)
Werdum Zaragoza (3 points)
Zarate Team (1 point)

Superfight Results:
Edson Jorge (GBM) def. Tito Beltran (ASES)
Cristina (ASES) def. Aida (GBM)

Team ‘Sur Union’ ultimately triumphed at Soul Beach with a string of impressive performances. This debut event hosted a great number of fighters and bodes well for next years come back.

G4 Productions [powered by MAX] presents: ‘Ultimate Glory Part 4’ [Posted 10th August 2007]
Having been a great stage for the K1-circuit in recent years, Holland has turned its attention to MMA. In particular, Shooto has had such an impact on grass roots clubs across Holland and Europe in recent years due to its training regime that incorporates a breadth of skills from ju-jitsu, kickboxing, judo, wrestling and other forms of grappling.

UG 4 will be held at Hof van Salland in Diepenveen on 2nd September 2007. Here is the following line-up:

SH A -83kg Bastiaan Rejen (Tatsujin Dojo, NL) vs. Igor Arajou (Brazil)
SH A -65kg Marloes Coenen (Golden Glory/Tatsujin Dojo, NL) vs. tba
SH A -70kg Marc Duncan (Tatsujin Dojo/Team Duncan) vs.
SH B 100kg Andy Jekel (Tatsujin Dojo, NL) vs. Tommy Rasmussen (NOR)

SH B -76kg Tobias Krone (Tatsujin Dojo, NL) vs. tba
SH B -76kg Michael Angelista (Tatsujin Dojo, NL) vs. tba

SH C 100kg Ewout Mundt (Tatsujin Dojo, NL) vs. Sander Duyvis (Mike’s Gym, NL)

SH C -83kg Mathijs van de Berg (Tatsujin Dojo, NL) vs. Duane van Helvoirt (Pardoel Sports, NL)

SH C+ -91kg Marciano Clare (Tatsujin Dojo, NL) vs. tba

SH C+ -100 Ernesto (Tatsujin Dojo) vs. tba

SH Gr -76kg Rafles la Rose (Tatsujin Dojo, NL) vs. tba

SH Gr -91kg Martijn de Jong (Golden Glory/Tatsujin Dojo, NL) vs. Taro Obata (AACC, Japan)

G4 Productions [powered by MAX] presents: ‘Ultimate Glory Part 5’ [Posted 10th August 2007]

There is a successive UG event to follow a week later in De Flint, Amersfoort, Holland on 9th September 2007. It will be another show of major professional Shooto and Muaythai.

Here is the line-up for the event:

SH A -76kg Oktay Karatas (Golden Glory, NL) vs. Yoshitomo Watanabe (AACC, Japan)

SH A -70kg Vincent Latoel (Golden Glory, NL) vs. Romano de los Reyes (SLAMM, NL)

SH A -95kg Dion Staring (Golden Glory, NL) vs. Hans Stringer (Super Pro, NL)

SH A -91kg Murat Chunkaiev (Golden Glory, FR) vs. Robert Jocz (Team Beast of the East, Poland)

SH A -70kg Gregorz Tredowski (Team Beast of the East, Poland) vs. tba

SH A -70kg Raymond Jarman (B.A. Physical, NL) vs. Hamid Corrasani (Golden Glory,Sweden)

SH B -70kg Daniel Sharifi (Team Hardcore, NL) vs. Kuku Victor (Team Relex, NL)

MT A -70kg Niecky Holtzken (Golden Glory, NL) vs. tba

MT B -63,5kg Ati Göl (Team Beast of the East) vs Azad Soufi (Team Karatas, NL)

MT C -74kg Matthieu Lawalata (B.A. Physical) vs. tba
MT C -75kg Geronimo de Groot (team Relex/Dekkers) vs. Marc de Bonte (sportschool Washi-Ni)

Remember to check out a post report for both events on MATV.

Urban Gorillaz Grappling Challenge: UGGC ‘Southern Open BJJ Tournament’ Announced [Posted 9th August 2007]
Hosted by the European Fight Network, this fall the UGGC Southern Open is being held on 30th September 2007 at the Rivermead Leisure Complex, Reading, UK. The tournament is available to juniors, adults and masters, featuring the following weight categories:

Mens Rooster 57.50kg
Mens Super feather 64.00kg
Mens Feather 70.00kg
Mens Light 76.00kg
Mens Middle 82.30kg
Mens Medium heavy 88.30kg
Mens Heavy 94.30kg
Mens Super heavy 100.50kg
Mens Super super heavy Over 100.50kg

Woman Rooster 48.50kg
Woman Super feather 53.50kg
Woman Feather 58.000kg
Woman Light 64.00kg
Woman Middle 69.00kg
Woman Medium heavy 74.00kg
Woman Heavy 79.00kg
Woman Super heavy 84.3kg

This is an open event for all athletes of any citizenship. All are welcome to compete and no prior qualification is required. There will be a post report here on MATV.

International Fight League: ‘IFL’s 2007 World Team Championships’ Announcement [Posted 6th August 2007]
The climatic finish to the IFL season will be held on September 20th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL. The two best performing teams in the league, Pat Miletich’s Quad City ‘Silverbacks’ and Renzo Gracie’s New York ‘Pitbulls’, will battle it out to become World Champions of 2007. It will either be a second consecutive Championship for the Silverbacks or sweet revenge for Pitbulls, defeated finalists of 2006.

International Fight League: ‘IFL Battleground’ Preview [Posted 6th August 2007]
A major MM-themed show, running alongside coverage the IFL season and forthcoming 2007 World Team Championships, ‘IFL Battleground’ is aired tonight [August 6th]. Ken Shamrock’s Nevada ‘Lions’ will be battling it out against Pat Miletich’s Quad Cities ‘Silverbacks’ with an eye on the IFL semi-finals. Two of this season’s best performers will compete – undefeated heavyweight Ben Rothwell against once beaten Roy Nelson, and lightweight’s Bart Palaszewski and John Gunderson also feature.

Gracie-Barra: Marbella ‘Open Grappling Tournament’ Announced [Posted 2nd August 2007]
The Gracie-Barra Marbella Academy and lead instructor Edson Jorge, announce their first Open Grappling Tournament. It is to be held on 11th August 2007, at Soul Beach, Puerto Banus, Marbella, Spain. Expect seminars, exhibitions, fierce bjj action and a great vibe on the Spanish coast.

Remember to checkout MATV for the post report. 


Free Fighting Championship: ‘FFC: All Or Nothing’ Roaster Announced [Posted 2nd August 2007]
The major MMA organisation based in Germany, has released a full fight-card for its next event on 30th September 2007 at Kohlrabizirkus (Kohlrabi Circus), Lepizig, Germany:

1 – Radovan Kuca (Czech Republic) vs. Marko Zschörner (Germany)
2 – Martin Brejcha (Czech Republic) vs. Patrik Moll (Germany)
3 – Dusan Skondric (Slovakia) vs. Christian Lo Re (Germany)
4 – TBA vs. Jens Ruske (Germany)
5 – Dragomir Rakic (Slovakia) vs. Silvio Haufe (Germany)
6 – Mario Haufe (Germany) vs. Hatch Picklum (Australia)
7 – Martin Boizik (Slovakia) vs. Franco Schulze (Germany)
8 – TBA vs. Norman Jendrejczjk (Germany)
9 – Ilja Skondric (Slovakia) vs. Lars Weber (Germany)
10 – Ivan Rodriguez (Brazil) vs. Artjom Kotellewetz (Germany)
11 – Vaclav Pribyl (the Czech Republic) vs. Ric Schreiter (Germany)
12 – Igor Araujo (Brazil) vs. Klaus Gaydosik (Germany)
13 – Peter Sluka (Slovakia) vs. Sebastian Kliesch (Germany)
14 – Marcelo Costa (Brazil) vs. Michal Hamrsmid (Czech Republic)

Future FFC event details to follow.

Cage Rage Championships: Newcomer Julius Francis’ forthcoming MMA Debut [Posted 2nd August 2007]
The British Heavyweight boxer, and former opponent of Mike Tyson will be making his MMA debut on home turf at Wembley Stadium, London, UK on 22nd September 2007 at ‘CRC 23: Unbelievable’.

The debutant, Julius Francis, needn’t be intimidated by the new challenge ahead of him. A previous winner of the British Heavyweight title on four separate occasions and five Commonwealth title fight victories under his belt, Francis he now progresses onto the CRC topflight.

Having fought both former and future World Boxing Champions, the British Heavyweight is an accomplished athlete. A talented kickboxer before turning pro in boxing, Francis has now enlisted the instruction of Rob Sulski to hone his wrestling and Ju-jitsu techniques for the cage.

Francis will be up against another heavyweight in the form of Gray Turner. A formidable opponent and former kickboxer himself, Turner won his last contest at ‘CRC 22: Hard As Hell’ by disposing of Edson Draggo by TKO. Turner will provide Francis with a stern test at the first hurdle.

Confederação Brasileira de Jiu-Jitsu Olímpico: ‘CBJJO Mundials’ Results [Posted 2nd August 2007]
A major event for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community, the recent CBJJE and CBJJO Mundials (World Championships) took place in two locations within Brazil. Both Rio and Sao Paulo played hosts to a thrilling weekend of BJJ action.

Here are the results from those bouts:

GALO
1- Bruno Malfacine – Game Fight
2- Felipe Serpa – Gracie Humaitá
3- Felipe Costa – Brasa
3- Igor Rodrigues – Buzios JJ

Pluma
1- Daniel Beleza – NU Ceará
2- Gabriel dos Santos – Monteiro
3- Marcelo Ferreira – Kimura NU
3- Leandro Martins – Fight Zone

PENA
1- Mario Reis – Gracie RS
2- Gabriel Wilcox – Brazilian Fight
3- Marcos dos Santos – Infight
3- Marcelo dos Santos – Infight

LEVE
1- Renê Nazaré – Clube Feijão
2- Alan Nascimento – Fight Zone
3- Michel Maia – Clube Feijão
3- Rodrigo Antônio – Clube Feijão

MEDIO
1- Yan Cabral – NU França
2- Junior Santos – Gracie Floripa
3- Flávio de Oliveira – Nine Nine
3- Rulio Areda – Fight Zone

MEIO PESADO
1- Alexandre de Souza – Gracie Floripa
2- Frederico Zaganelli – Gracie Barra
3- Rômulo Barral – Gracie Barra
3- Antônio Alberto – Akxe BJJ

PESADO
1- Bruno Bastos – Bastos Tean
2- Gilson Rebelo – Pittbull
3- Helvécio Penna – De La Riva
3- Igor Silva – Muzio de Angelis

SUPER PESADO
1- Antônio Braga – Gordo JJ
2- Marcelo Donald – Clube Feijão
3- Francisco Santoro – Athayde Jr
3- Bruno Moreira – Kezen

PESADISSIMO
1- Henrique Marcos – Bastos Team
2- Gustavo Gussem – AC. Gustavo
3- Frabrício Werdun – Gracie RS
3- Diego Ballouta – Gracie Barra

ABSOLUTO ATE 75kg
1- Rodrigo Antônio – Clube Feijão
2- André Basto – Bastos Team
3- Rodrigo de Paulo – NU Dedé
3- Alan do Nascimento – Fight Zone

ABSOLUTO ACIMA DE 75kg
1- Fabricio Werdun – Gracie RS
2- Felipe Mota – Akxe BJJ
3- Rômulo Barral – Gracie Barra
3- Alexandre Pereira – BTT

International Fight League: IFL announces Cytosport’s “Muscle Milk” Brand as an Official Corporate Partner [Posted 1st August 2007]
The protein giant, Cytosport, is another major brand to have teamed-up with IFL. Recognized as one of America’s leading nutritional programs for serious athletes, Cytosport is embarking on a yearlong promotional campaign between the two organizations.

The particulars include an in-arena tie-in, a national grassroots campaign across the States involving IFL athletes and coaches, a “Muscle Milk” TV campaign featuring IFL athletes and inclusion on their teams kits for the current and forthcoming IFL season.

This completes another joint venture between IFL and its partners who already include Microsoft Xbox, V2 Vodka, Fairtex Equipment, the USO, USA Wrestling, and large media partners Warner Home Video, FSN and MyNetworkTV.

The partnership will take-effect from the opening of this week’s IFL semi-finals at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

International Fight League: ‘IFL’s 2007 World Grand Prix’ Announcement [Posted 29th July 2007]
IFL has established itself as the premier team-combat sport. The organization now intends to expand its enterprises in an individual all-star competition: World Grand Prix 2007.

The venues and dates for this year’s WGP were announced ahead of the IFL Championship Semi-Finals on August 2nd, Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, N.J. The WGP Semifinals will be held on Saturday, November 3rd at the Sears Centre, Chicago, and the Finals will take place on Saturday, December 29th at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.

The tournament will be structured with five weight categories, each consisting of the top four performing athletes from the regular IFL season. Winners from each category will be crowned World Grand Champion for their respective weight class.

The IFL stars scheduled for this tournament include the ‘Silverbacks’ heavyweight Ben Rothwell (Milwaukee, Wis.), ‘Anacondas’ young prodigy and lightweight Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario), ‘Sabres’ light heavyweight henchman Vladimir Matyushenko (Belarus) and ‘Anacondas’ unbeaten middleweight Benji Radach (Coconut Creek, Fla.).

A phenomenal season so far for the Los Angeles ‘Anacondas’ makes them the top draw with the most qualified athletes. The ‘Anacondas’ will have four athletes representing the team. Other spots are shared among Quad Cities ‘Silverbacks’ with three, while the Toronto ‘Dragons’, Nevada ‘Lions’ and Tokyo ‘Sabres’ have two each and the remaining seven teams in the IFL have one apiece.

All 20 MMA athletes, four in each weight category, will compete at the IFL Semi-Finals in Chicago. The winners will advance to the Finals at Mohegan Sun, which will also include a series of ‘Superfights’ to round out the card. Any case of injury prior to the tournament, results in the fifth seed alternate filling the vacated spot.

The World Grand Prix 2007 Semi-Finals roasters are as follow:

Lightweight (155 lb.)
No. 1 Wagnney Fabiano, Dragons (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (3-0 IFL 2007, 3-0 IFL career, 7-1 overall) vs. No. 4 John Gunderson, Lions (Medford, Ore.) (2-1, 2-1, 15-4)
No. 2 Chris Horodecki, Anacondas (London, Ontario) (3-0, 6-0, 10-0) vs. No. 3 Bart Palaszewski, Silverbacks (Wonder Lake, Ill.) (2-1, 7-1, 27-8)
Alternate: Shad Lierley, Tiger Sharks (Seattle) (2-1, 2-1, 2-1)

Welterweight (170 lb.)
No. 1 Delson Heleno, Pitbulls (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (3-0, 4-1, 11-2) vs. No. 4 Mark Miller, Red Bears (Chicago) (2-1, 8-2, 2-1)
No. 2 Antonio McKee, Sabres (Lakewood, Calif.) (3-0, 3-0, 20-3-2) vs. No. 3 Jay Hieron, Anacondas (Las Vegas) (2-1, 4-2, 12-4)
Alternate: Pat Healy, Lions (St. Louis) (2-1, 2-1. 18-12)

Middleweight (185 lb.)
No. 1 Benji Radach, Anacondas (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (3-0, 3-0, 15-3) vs. No. 4 Brent Beauparlant, Dragons (Ottawa, Ontario) (2-1, 3-3, 6-4)
No. 2 Matt Horwich, Wolfpack (Portland, Ore.) (2-1, 4-3, 19-9-1) vs. No. 3 Brian Foster, Razorclaws (Moreno Valley, Calif.) (2-1, 3-2, 9-11)
Alternate: Fabio Leopoldo, Pitbulls (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (2-1, 3-1, 5-2)

Light Heavyweight (205 lb.)
No. 1 Vladimir Matyushenko, Sabres (El Segundo, Calif.) (3-0, 3-0, 18-3) vs. No. 4 Alex Schoenauer, Anacondas (Las Vegas) (2-1, 4-3, 12-7)
No. 2 Mike Whitehead, Scorpions (Central Point, Ore.) (2-0, 4-0, 19-4) vs. No. 3 Mike Ciesnolevicz, Silverbacks (Williamstown, Pa.) (2-0, 4-2, 12-2)
Alternate: Jamal Patterson, Pitbulls (Hoboken, N.J.) (1-0, 3-1, 3-1)

Heavyweight (265 lb.)
No. 1 Ben Rothwell, Silverbacks (Milwaukee, Wis.) (3-0, 7-0, 22-5) vs. No. 4 Roy Nelson, Lions (Las Vegas) (2-1, 2-1, 8-2)
No. 2 Antoine Jaoude, Condors (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (3-0, 3-0, 7-2) vs. No. 3 Reese Andy, Tiger Sharks (Billings, Mont.) (3-0, 5-1, 7-1)
Alternate: Bryan Vetell, Pitbulls (Jamaica, N.Y.) (1-1, 1-2, 2-2)

World Extreme Cagefighting: ‘WEC: CONDIT VS. LARSON’ Preview [Posted 28th July 2007]
This coming WEC event is being held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, on Sunday 5th August 2007. Headlining the night is the Welterweight bout between reigning WEC Champ Carlos Condit and Brock Larson. The WEC Middleweight is currently vacant and will be fought over by Paul Filho and Joe Doerksen.

Other featured fights include featherweights Jeff Curran vs. Stephen Ledbetter, and lightweights Jamie Varner vs. Sherron Legget. The night will be kicked-off by welterweights Hiromitsu Miura vs. Fernando Gonzalez, and bantamweights Antonio Banuelos vs. Justin Robbins.

A veteran of both UFC and PRIDE, and after a five year absence Jeff “Big Frog” Curran finally returns to the WEC to claim the Featherweight title from Champion Urijah Faber, with Stephen Ledbetter standing in his path to glory. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt will have a difficult task in tackling Ledbetter’s unbeaten run in WEC and a rising star.

Ultimate Fighting Championship: ‘UFC 76: KNOCKOUT’ Preview [Posted 28th July 2007]
The up and coming UFC 76: Knockout is to be hosted live from the Honda Center, Anaheim, on Saturday 22nd September 2007. The line-up includes a light heavyweight main showdown between Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and Keith “The Dean Of Mean” Jardine, with Liddell returning to the Octagon in an attempt to reclaim his title belt. The special feature match sees former PRIDE FC phenomenon Mauricio “Shogun” Rua enter the UFC Octagon on his debut to take on Forrest Griffin in the other light heavyweight “knockout” contest.

Liddell has been one of the most consistent athletes in UFC, having been the 205-pound UFC champion for a successive three-year reign. A long series of convincing wins over opponents such as Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture, was eventually brought to an end by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC: 71. It will be an explosive conflict between Liddell and Jardine “The Dean Of Mean”, a well-regarded wrestler and kickboxer in the mixed martial arts arena.

Fresh from PRIDE, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is eager to impress on his UFC Octagon debut. The PRIDE 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix Champ and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt already has wins over other UFC stars such as Quinton Jackson and Kazuhiro Nakamura in other competitions. Rua is lined-up against a fierce competitor and The Ultimate Fighter [Season 1] Light Heavyweight winner, Forrest Griffin.

Cage Rage Championship: ‘CRC: 23 UNBELIEVABLE’ Preview [Posted 20th July 2007]
CRC 23 proposes a heavy night down in Wembley Arena, London, UK with 3 title belts up for grabs. The line-ups for September 22nd include the World Light Heavyweight Title, Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort Vs. James “The Messenger” Zikic, British Heavyweight Title, Mustapha Al-Turk Vs. Tengiz Tedordze, and World & British Welterweight Title, Mark “The Wizard” Weir Vs. Paul “Semtex” Daley.

Vitor Belfort is a Brazilian export, a superb fighter capable of matching anyone pound-for-pound in boxing, grappling and wrestling. Belfort previously destroyed CRC fighters Anthony Rea and Ivan Serati, thus earning a title fight against current World Champion James Zikic.

The British Heavyweight contest will see two of the best strikers in CRC squaring up. Al-Turk has proven that he can mix up his style of fighting by combining striking and groundwork together, having dispatched MMA specialist Mark Kerr. Al-Turk’s next opponent, Tengiz, was able to wear down the formidable ex professional boxer Butterbean in a bruising contest during CRC 22.

A domestic bout between Weir and Daley will be very tight, with both the World and British Welterweight Titles riding on this one confrontation. Other confirmed contests include Xavier Foupa Pokam MW Vs. Pierre Guillet MW and Ed Smith LHW Vs. Roman Webber LHW.

Next event: Cage Rage Championship 24, December 1st 2007, London, UK. Details will follow.

International Fight League: Roaster announced for ‘IFL World Championship Semi-Finals’, August 2nd, Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. [Posted 20th July 2007]
The four most consistent teams in the IFL square up for a place in the 2007 Final held on Thursday, September 20th, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The IFL season consisted of a 6-month period from January through to June 2007.

The top-seeded Los Angeles Anacondas (3-0) take on the defending champion Quad Cities Silverbacks (2-1), while the second-seeded New York Pitbulls (3-0) look to defend their home turf against the No. 3 Tokyo Sabres (3-0).

Full roasters for the Semi-Finals are as follows:

No. 3 Sabres (3-0 team, 9-6 indiv.) vs. No. 2 Pitbulls (3-0, 10-5)
155 lb.: Savant Young (Pasadena, Calif.) (2-1 IFL, 8-5 0verall) vs. Erik Owings (New York) (3-2, 3-2)
170 lb.: Antonio McKee (Lakewood, Calif.) (3-0, 20-3-2) vs. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (4-1, 11-2)
185 lb.: David Phillips (Texas) (0-0, 7-3) vs. Dan Miller (Sparta, N.J.) (0-0, 5-1)
205 lb: Vladimir Matyushenko (El Segundo, Calif.) (3-0, 18-3) vs. Jamal Patterson (Hoboken, N.J.) (3-1, 3-1)
265 lb.: Wayne Cole (Oklahoma City, Okla.) (0-1, 7-4) vs. Bryan Vetell (Jamaica, N.Y.) (1-2, 2-2)

No. 4 Silverbacks (2-1, 9-6) vs. Anacondas (3-0, 11-4)
155 lb.: Bart Palaszewski (Wonder Lake, Ill.) (7-1, 27-8) vs. Adam DiSabato (Columbus, Ohio) (0-0, 3-1)
170 lb.: Rory Markham (Chicago) (5-1, 11-2) vs. Chris Clements (Chatham, Ontario) (0-0, 4-1)
185 lb.: Gerald Harris (0-1, 4-1) (Tulsa, Okla.) vs. Benji Radach (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (3-0, 15-3)
205 lb.: Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) (4-2, 12-2) vs. Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas) (4-3, 12-7)
265 lb.: Ben Rothwell (Milwaukee, Wis.) (7-0, 22-5) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (Winnipeg, Manitoba) (3-3, 12-7-1)

Preliminary Bouts
170 lb.: Mike Dolce (1-2, 3-2) (Belmar, N.J.) vs. Nissim Levy (0-0, 2-1)
185 lb.: Dante Rivera (0-1, 9-2) (New York) vs. Lyman Good (New York) (0-0, 5-0)

Those unable to compete through injury are the ‘Anacondas’ Light- Weight Chris Horodecki and Welter-Weight Jay Hieron, ‘Pitbulls’ Middle-Weight Fabio Leopoldo, ‘Sabres’ Middle-Weight Kazuhiro Hamanaka and ‘Silverbacks’ Middle-Weight Ryan McGivern.

International Fight League: ‘IFL Battleground’ & USO Fleet Week [Posted 14th July 2007]
IFL “USO Fleet Week” visit coincides with a playoff match-up this coming Monday 16th August on “IFL Battleground”. It pits the top-flight Los Angeles Anacondas against Seattle Tiger Sharks.

A main highlight of Monday’s broadcast is a behind-the-scenes look at IFL coaches, athletes, and “IFL Battleground” Co-host Tiffany Fallon on board several U.S. Navy ships as part of “USO Fleet Week”. The event was collaboration between the USO and IFL that involved both Navy and U.S. Marine personnel taking part in training, meet-and-greet and autograph sessions. Fallon joined Silverbacks coach Pat Miletich, Pitbulls mentor Renzo Gracie, and IFL athletes Ben Rothwell (Milwaukee, Wis.), Jamal Patterson (Hoboken, N.J.), Mark Miller (Chicago), Brian Foster (Moreno Valley, Calif.) and Bryan Vetell (Jamaica, N.Y.).

The show also as a billing of top athletes profiled, including Tiger Sharks’ “Bad” Brad Blackburn (Olympia, Wash.), who takes viewers along for the ride on his ATV, and Shad Lierley (Seattle), a former wrestling champion at New York University who puts his unbeaten record on the line against a young teen sensation in the form of Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario).

The search for the next group of IFL Ring Girls concludes on Monday night. Unfortunately two ladies will have to be eliminated in preparation for the IFL Championships.

International Fight League: IFL Launches Online Photo Store with Getty Images [Posted 9th July 2007]
MMA fans are now enabled to purchase and download high quality resolution images of all their IFL heroes both within and outside of the ring.

In collaboration with the major photographic group, Getty Images, IFL enthusiasts can now access the most extensive MMA photo archive via http://pictopia.com/gallery/ifl.

This is not the only IFL media-based project in the pipeline. Alongside Warner Home Video, the forthcoming release of IFL DVD “Knockouts and Extreme Action” is due to hit the shelves on September 19. A partnership between the Topps Company is also in production of the new IFL trading cards, ready in time for the fourth quarter of this year.

International Fight League: IFL announces deal with American Forces Network [Posted 7th July 2007]
As of this July, American serviceman and women will have access to weekly-televised screenings of “IFL Fight Night” on US Military bases globally. This involves a joint collaboration between IFL, Haber Distribution, Fox Sports Net and AFN.

AFN, American Forces Network, is a worldwide radio and television broadcast network for all US Military personnel stationed across the globe. This should be an ideal aligning between one of the best combat-based franchises and the US Military, whose own members would be fully trained in many of the fighting styles on offer in the MMA world. The awareness of team-orientation in IFL should also be a bonus for many troopers watching.

This cements another partnership between IFL and the military. As current IFL coaches and champions Pat Miletich and Don Frye, along with reigning world champion Dan Henderson are involved with a Goodwill Tour of the Persian Gulf as part of a yearlong program between the IFL and USO, United Service Organizations Inc.

Ultimate Fighting Championship: ‘UFC 75: CHAMPION VS CHAMPION’ Heavyweight Preview [Posted 5th July 2007]
The growing popularity of the UFC format in the UK has meant that 3 events have been held there in the past year. This coming September 8th, at the O2 Arena, London, sees another heavyweight bout between two champions. The main event championship bout of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson V. Dan “ Hollywood ” Henderson along with the bitter rivalry of Michael “The Count” Bisping V. Matt “The Hammer” Hamill precedes the UFC: 75 feature fight. The match up of Mirko Cro Cop V. Cheick Kongo is the third bout of the evening.

An unexpected loss to Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70 in Manchester earlier this year, has meant that Cro Cop is eager to reaffirm is reputation has one of the best strikers in UFC. Coming up against a fellow kickboxer, Kongo has risen steadily through the MMA ranks in UFC. A kickboxer turned mixed martial artist, this Parisian native wants to make that next big step following a series of impressive wins since his debut in July ’06, at UFC 61 against Gilbert Aldana.

Ultimate Fighting Championship: ‘UFC 73: STACKED’ Line-Up Preview [Posted 5th July 2007]
A full card line-up was announced for UFC 73 being held at the ARCO Arena, Sacramento, CA on July 7th. It’s a fully loaded encounter with many UFC superstars in attendance:

Andersson Silva V. Nate Marquardt
Sean Sherk V. Hermes Franca
Tito Oritz V. Rashad Evans
Heath Herring V. “Minotauro” Nogueira
Kenny Florian V. Alvin Robinson
Stephen Bonnar V. Mike Nickels
Jorge Gurgel V. Diego Saraiva
Chris Lytle V. Jason Gilliam
Frankie Edgar V. Mark Bocek

The key match-ups for the evening have to be UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson “The Spider “ Silva’s first title defense against Nate “The Great” Marquardt. After claiming the Middleweight crown at UFC 64 from Rich Franklin, Silva is a good all-round mixed martial artist and is keen to prove that he can sustain this impressive run of form. His challenger, Marquardt, is an ideal opponent to bout with having already overcome Ivan Salaverry, Joe Doerksen, Crafton Wallace and Dean Lister. It’s a tough call.

Another newly crowned Champ is putting his belt up for grabs at UFC 73. Lightweight Champion Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk has a formidable task in the form of Hermes Franca. The Brazilian has laid claim to the mat with eight-straight wins via KO or submission.

The Octagon presents us with another heavyweight bout between debutant Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and Heath “The Texas Crazy Horse” Herring. It will be a test of strength and agility between the BJJ artist and his Las Vegas-counterpart.

International Fight League: ‘IFL Semi-Finals’ Preview [Posted 30th June 2007]
On 2nd August 2007, at the Continental Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host the first-ever IFL playoffs. Those teams competing will have a chance to advance into the IFL Championship on September 20th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The first match-up will between Renzo Gracie’s Pitbulls and Ken Yasuda’s Tokyo Sabres. A shaky start to their debut season has meant that the Pitbulls have gone with Delson Heleno as their *opener. His impressive record so far this season, 11-2-0, will come under fire from the Sabre’s duo of Antonio McKee and Vladimir Matyushenko.

The next line-up involves Sean Tompkins Los Angeles Anacondas taking on Pat Miletich’s reigning champions Quad Cities Silverbacks. The Anacondas should count on the talents of Benji Radich and Chris Horodecki, both of whom are undefeated this season. Without question the Silverbacks played a flawless season last year with Miletich at the helm. This season they are relying on the outstanding performances of heavyweight Ben Rothwell, 29-5-0, which have proved crucial for them in the push for a playoff position.

Both confrontations should be explosive and will set the benchmark for future IFL Championships.

Ultimate Fighting Championship: ‘UFC 74: RESPECT’ Preview [Posted 30th June 2007]
The upcoming UFC 74: RESPECT will be a double-bill event to savor. Live from Las Vegas on 25th August 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Randy Couture will be defending his UFC heavyweight belt for the first time against Gabriel Gonzaga. Following the main event is a special feature fight between Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck.

By far the two in-form UFC heavyweights, Couture and Gonzaga come to Las Vegas having dominated their previous opponents. Couture became the only man ever to have won the UFC World Heavyweight title three times, by punishing Tim Sylvia through five rounds. Couture is up against Gonzaga, who is in equally blistering form having knockout the awesome Mirko “Cro Cop”, the 2006 PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix Champion. Hence this is being tipped as a major encounter in UFC history.

The special feature is a match-up that will be equally as bruising as the main event. It sees the return of Georges St-Pierre, who is eager to get back onto winning ways since his loss at UFC 69. In the shadows is Josh Koscheck, who is one of the top welterweights in the division. An unexpected triumph over Diego Sanchez has that meant Koscheck will view this bout with St-Pierre with great anticipation. A win Vegas could mean a title shot.