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Executive Dances Around Exclusion of Overeem on DREAM 15 Card

(No, Overeem will not be fighting…but enough about that. Have have you all seen our new hex-shaped cage. I call it the Sexagon.)
In a bizarre move, DREAM Executive Producer Keiichi Sasahara addressed the media today in an attempt to quell the ru…

(No, Overeem will not be fighting…but enough about that. Have have you all seen our new hex-shaped cage. I call it the Sexagon.)

In a bizarre move, DREAM Executive Producer Keiichi Sasahara addressed the media today in an attempt to quell the rumors regarding Alistair Overeem dropping out of the event, but refused to discuss the reason for the Dutch fighter’s withdrawal, effectively doing little more than fuelling further speculation.

MMAFighting has the transcription of Sasahara’s prepared statement.

"Towards the end of the negotiations, because of reasons that I am not able to tell you, although the two fighters agreed to fight, it happened that these fighters could not fight. It’s not because of money, but if the reasons are something that I cannot tell you then you might be able to guess what they would be. Because of that, we are not able to have these two fighters fight.
We really wanted Alistair [Overeem] to fight. Today, unfortunately it is not happening so we will only have seven fights. I have to apologize to the fans who have been looking forward to seeing Alistair fight in Japan. I’m sorry."

Machida’s Dad is a Hardass Who Thinks Lyoto Should Retire

(Video courtesy Sherdog)
I always had a sneaking suspicion that Lyoto Machida’s dad, Yoshizo was a cross between Mr. Myagi from the Karate Kid and Dwight Hansen from This Boy’s Life. Judging by the latest interview he did with Sherdog’s Marcelo …

(Video courtesy Sherdog)

I always had a sneaking suspicion that Lyoto Machida’s dad, Yoshizo was a cross between Mr. Myagi from the Karate Kid and Dwight Hansen from This Boy’s Life. Judging by the latest interview he did with Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso, I’m beginning to think I was right.

In the video, Yoshizo makes a few eyebrow raising comments about things like his son’s mental and spiritual fortitude, but the most surprising statement that escapes his lips is that he felt that Lyoto should have abandoned his MMA career after his UFC 113 knockout loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

"As a parent, I think he just realized his dream, that was to be the world champion and it would be good for him to stop. On the other hand, after being defeated it became more challenging and therefore he wants to prove even more. There is a spiritual strengthening of the man. I think technique of the top fighters is close. Today what makes the difference is the spirit. Mostly, for those who were defeated as he was it is recovering quickly, and that is what I worry about most. My biggest concern is that injuries and losses occur, but you can recover from them. But in the spiritual matter, it may take up to five or 10 years. This is what can bring bad things and what really worries me."

Seriously? It was one loss. He thinks he should quit because of one loss? I’m guessing Yoshizo is a bit of a dictator in the Machida house. Lyoto was the golden child until he lost and ever since then he likely doesn’t even drink his piss right in his dad’s eyes. Tough dad to please. Just ask Lyoto’s brothers. I’m sure they’ve gotten used to the chill of living in his shadow.

Australia Athletic Commission Won’t Allow Filho to Fight on Both Impact FC Cards

(Ironically, this is the most non-crazy tattoo Paulo has.)
Realizing that chronically unreliable personal demon chaser Paulo Filho will do well to make it to one of his scheduled July Impact Fighting Championship bouts, the Australia Athletic Comm…

(Ironically, this is the most non-crazy tattoo Paulo has.)

Realizing that chronically unreliable personal demon chaser Paulo Filho will do well to make it to one of his scheduled July Impact Fighting Championship bouts, the Australia Athletic Commission has disallowed the Brazilian from competing on both the July 10 and July 18 cards as planned.

Graciemag announced the news we have all been predicting today.

Filho (20-1), who was originally also slated to fight at Impact FC’s scrapped July 3 event in Perth, takes on K-1 Heroes, PRIDE and UFC veteran Denis Kang (32-12-1, 2 NC) on July 18 in Sydney if he makes it to the show.

Jake Shields Close to Being a UFC Fighter; Says Strikeforce’s Problem is that the Company Only Pushes Has-Beens

(Shields was pleasantly surprised to find his locker at the UFC training centre stuffed with the "respect" Strikeforce failed to show him.)
When Jake Shields announced that he would be testing the free agent waters when his Strikeforce contra…

(Shields was pleasantly surprised to find his locker at the UFC training centre stuffed with the "respect" Strikeforce failed to show him.)

When Jake Shields announced that he would be testing the free agent waters when his Strikeforce contract ended this summer, every MMA fan and journalist collectively thought, "He’s going to the UFC." Strikeforce must have been thinking the same thing, considering they let Shields, who is their middleweight champ, go without a fight by releasing him without tendering a final offer before he began the open negotiation period with other promotions.

Even if a company like the UFC made an offer, Strikeforce, by rights could have matched any offer on the table, but by releasing him from his contract, the only thing they did was possibly prevent a bidding war resulting salary increase for Shields.

He told BJPenn.com that the release was totally unexpected.

“It came as kind of a surprise. I hadn’t really been talking to Strikeforce and pretty much everyone knows that I want to go to the UFC. We got our negotiations going with the UFC and they (Strikeforce) dropped me without any warning and it came out of nowhere. It is what it is and I’m moving ahead with the UFC contract and hopefully that will be worked out soon.”

Machida’s Camp Wants an Interim Title Bout Against the Last Guy Lyoto REALLY Beat

(Whatever happened to working your way back up the ladder after a loss?)
Apparently Lyoto Machida is trying to jump to the front of the line of fighters in the queue to face Mauricio Rua when the UFC light heavyweight champ returns from rehabbing from …

(Whatever happened to working your way back up the ladder after a loss?)

Apparently Lyoto Machida is trying to jump to the front of the line of fighters in the queue to face Mauricio Rua when the UFC light heavyweight champ returns from rehabbing from knee surgery he underwent a few weeks ago.

According to an interview he did with MMAJunkie, Machida’s manager Ed Soares says that his charge’s first choice of fights would be a rubbermatch with Rua, but since according to UFC president Dana White, Shogun will likely be sidelined until March, they would instead like to battle for an interim belt with the man who is said to be next in line for a shot at the real belt.

"Honestly, we’d like to fight ‘Shogun,’" Machida’s manager, Ed Soares, today told MMAjunkie.com Radio. "Now it’s 1-1. It’s even. Let’s do this rubber match. Let’s figure this out. Granted, he won by decision and Lyoto won decisively, but anyone can get caught in this sport. He went in for the kill, and unfortunately, he got caught."

"Since ‘Shogun’ is out – they’re saying until March – personally, when there’s an injured champion, I would love to see maybe a Rashad-Lyoto match for the interim title. I think that would be something that would be cool, and the winner of that would get to fight ‘Shogun’ when he’s all healed up in the spring of next year."

M-1 Global Exec Says Reports of Company’s Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

("Trust me. Everything is fine at M-1 Global. We are actually looking at buying the UFC.")
Speaking with Sherdog.com’s Loretta Hunt today about a report by MMAFighting.com’s lead blogger, Michael David Smith, that stated that M-1 Glob…

("Trust me. Everything is fine at M-1 Global. We are actually looking at buying the UFC.")

Speaking with Sherdog.com’s Loretta Hunt today about a report by MMAFighting.com’s lead blogger, Michael David Smith, that stated that M-1 Global had closed down its Holland office as a result of the projected financial impact the recent loss by its marquee fighter, Fedor Emelianenko will have on the company, the organization’s director of operations, Evgeni Kogan downplayed the situation.

Calling the firing of four of the office’s 11 employees, whose positions he explained had simply become redundant, a “restructuring,” Kogan, who had been brought in to assess and consult on the company’s structure and operations in January told Hunt that the MMAFighting report was misleading.