Two Women’s Bouts To Air Live During XFC 23 Event Broadcast On AXStv This April

Press Release – Xtreme Fighting Championships has been at the forefront of WMMA since 2008, when it introduced their WMMA division with world class boxer, turned MMA fighter, Chevelle Hallback. Instant popularity of female fights in the XFC began to spread throughout the MMA industry, and the company known for finding the Next Generation of […]

XFC Logo

Press Release – Xtreme Fighting Championships has been at the forefront of WMMA since 2008, when it introduced their WMMA division with world class boxer, turned MMA fighter, Chevelle Hallback. Instant popularity of female fights in the XFC began to spread throughout the MMA industry, and the company known for finding the Next Generation of MMA Fighters followed up their promise of finding and building rising stars, by signing Marianna Kheyfets following their Open Fighter Tryout in 2010. Soon after, Kheyfets had her first fight live on national television to the HDNet viewers and thousands in attendance at the St. Pete Times Forum. Kheyfets went on to win 5 straight fights, quickly becoming a fan favorite and leaving HDNet viewers wanting more WMMA. Her success secured a spot not just for herself, but for other female fighters in the industry to have an opportunity to fight live on TV at future XFC events.

Blast ahead, three years later, where the XFC has now significantly increased the number of women on their roster, featuring three of the industry’s most solidified weight classes (Atomweight, Flyweight, & Strawweight). Now moving into 2013, the promotion has announced another significant increase, in their efforts to remain one of the leading supporters of Women in mixed martial arts. At XFC 23 in April, the XFC announced this morning that they are scheduling, 2 female bouts on the live side of the AXStv broadcast of XFC 23 in April. Something that no other promotion on national television is currently doing.

XFC President John Prisco has announced a tentative agreement between Stephanie Eggink versus newly signed Angela Magana on tap, not only as part of the announced female double header, but also in the co-main position at XFC 23. Additionally, Angelica Chavez of the Chavez Dojo in New Mexico will make her XFC debut on the same card, with her opponent expected to be named in coming weeks. Prior to the April event, XFC fans will also see women’s MMA action in February at XFC 22, where Amateur phenom champion (now Pro) Pearl Gonzalez makes her XFC and national television debut against Suzie Montero at the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

XFC has already added Eggink, Magana, Gonzalez, and Chavez to the growing roster here in 2013, and the promotion is rumored to be adding several more fighters to each weight class, in preparation for title fights that could take place before the year’s end. To keep up with the XFC women’s divisions, bout announcements, and signings, visit www.OfficialXFC.com and follow the promotion daily on Facebook and Twitter ‘@OfficialXFC’.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 Cast Revealed

The twenty-eight member cast for the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter, season 17, was revealed today. Getting the scoop directly from the promotion was USA Today Sports who provided the photo and the names of this years participants. TUF 17 is set to debut on January 22nd on FX beginning at 8pm and will […]

The 28 members of the TUF 17 cast – photo by the UFC via USAToday.com

The twenty-eight member cast for the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter, season 17, was revealed today.

Getting the scoop directly from the promotion was USA Today Sports who provided the photo and the names of this years participants.

TUF 17 is set to debut on January 22nd on FX beginning at 8pm and will feature opposing coaches UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen.

“The whole house is terrified of this guy. Everybody,” White said. “I picked this fight, and this guy is lined up with the guy I’m telling you about, and the guy has a nervous breakdown in the house over the weekend.

“This guy scared the living s— out of everyone. It’s awesome.”

The first episode will air for two-hours as the 28 fighters battle in the initial elimination round in order to whittle the cast down to 14.

Check out the full cast list below:

Dylan Andrews (16-4-1), 32, Gold Coast, Australia (by way of New Zealand)
Kito Andrews (9-2), 34, Sacramento
Luke Barnatt (5-0), 24, Cambridge, England
Leo Bercier (7-2), 31, Great Falls, Mont.
Ryan Bigler (9-3), 28, Yona, Guam
Kevin Casey (5-2), Hawthorne, Calif.
Adam Cella (4-0), 27, Fenton, Mo.
Zach Cummings (15-3), 28, Kansas City, Mo.
Andy Enz (6-1), 21, Anchorage
Nik Fekete, 32, Las Vegas
Kelvin Gastelum (5-0), 20, Yuma, Ariz.
Uriah Hall (7-2), 28, New York City (by way of Jamaica)
Collin Hart (4-1-1), 23, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Clint Hester (7-3), 25, Atlanta
Jake Heun (3-2), 25, Salt Lake City
Mike Jasper (6-0), 29, Camarillo, Calif.
Nicholas Kohring (3-0), 22, Valley Springs, Calif.
Robert “Bubba” McDaniel (20-6), 29, Albuquerque
Fraser Opie (10-5), 29, Milton Keynes, England (by way of South Africa)
Mike Persons (3-0), 28, Manteca, Calif.
Jimmy Quinlan (3-0), 26, Metheun, Mass.
Scott Rosa (4-1), 26, Sparks, Nev.
Joshua Samman (9-2), 24, Tallahassee, Fla.
Gilbert Smith Jr. (5-1), Colorado Springs
Eldon Sproat (3-1), 27, Molokai, Hawaii
Tor Troeng (15-4-1), 29, Umea, Sweden
Eric Wahlin (5-1), 29, Taylorsville, Utah
Timothy Williams (7-1), 26, Millville, N.J.

Ed Hermann Thinks Jake Shields Tested Positive for PEDs

UFC middleweight Ed Herman, who is preparing for his forthcoming fight on the last Strikeforce card against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, has told Boody Elbow that he is “pretty sure” that Jake Shields was on PEDs when the pair met last August. T…

UFC middleweight Ed Herman, who is preparing for his forthcoming fight on the last Strikeforce card against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, has told Boody Elbow that he is “pretty sure” that Jake Shields was on PEDs when the pair met last August.

The fight at UFC 150 was only Shields’ second at middleweight for the promotion, which he initially won but was then declared a “no-contest” after the fighter tested positive for a banned substance.

At the time Shields issued a statement admitting his “mistake” and is serving a six-month suspension. However, what the actual substance was that he was popped for has been shrouded in mystery.

Under Colorado law, where the match took place, medical details, including those revealed in a drug test are considered confidential.

But Herman believes that “just by looking at his physique going in to the fight,” it was obvious he was on a performance enhancing substance.

“He looked pretty puffed up and exhibited the common signs,” Herman told BloodyElbow.com. “As an athlete, you can recognize those signs. I can’t guarantee it, but I’m pretty positive that it was for some kind of performance enhancing drug.

“If it really was for marijuana, it’s a lot easier for a guy to come right out and say, ‘I smoked a joint, sorry.’ You get a little less criticism that way than if you cheated and used a performance enhancer.”

Shields had come into the UFC from Strikeforce in 2011 as middleweight champion. However, his first fight was at welterweight, where he narrowly defeated Martin Kampmann, before he went on to challenge Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight crown.

After losing to St-Pierre, then getting knocked out by Jake Ellenberger within 51 seconds, Shields decided to move back up to 185 pounds.

However, his performances at middleweight have hardly been scintillating. His victory against Yoshihiro Akiyama, and the overturned victory against Herman, came at the end of lacklustre performances which have led to Shields once again considering a return to welterweight.

Herman is being brought in to Strikeforce from the UFC to face Souza as a replacement for Lorenz Larkin, at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine. The event will take place on Jan. 12 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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UFC on FOX 6 Odds – Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson

On Saturday, January 26, 2013, the sixth installment of the UFC on FOX series will hit the airwaves live from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. In the main event of the evening, newly-crowned UFC Flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will defend his belt against heavy-handed Greg Jackson protégé John “The Magician” Dobson. Dodson […]

On Saturday, January 26, 2013, the sixth installment of the UFC on FOX series will hit the airwaves live from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. In the main event of the evening, newly-crowned UFC Flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will defend his belt against heavy-handed Greg Jackson protégé John “The Magician” Dobson. Dodson is riding a five-fight win streak including three straight wins since debuting in the UFC, but Johnson proved during the Flyweight title tournament that he is a force to be reckoned with now that he is in his natural weight class.

Main card:

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson

Bovada.Iv Odds

  • Johnson   (-210)
  • Dodson    (+170)

Betonline.com Odds

  • Johnson  (-215)
  • Dodson   (+185)

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis

Bovada.Iv Odds

  • Cerrone  (+120)
  • Pettis       (-150)

Betonline.com Odds

  • Cerrone   (+125)
  • Pettis       (-145)

Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixiera

Bovada.Iv Odds

  • Jackson   (+240)
  • Teixiera   (-310)

Betonline.com Odds

  • Jackson   (+270)
  • Teixiera   (-320)

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas

Bovada.Iv Odds

  • Koch      (-190)
  • Lamas   (+155)

Preliminary Card:

TJ Grant vs. Matt Wiman

Bovada.Iv Odds

  • Grant     (-175)
  • Wiman  (-145)

Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki

Bovada.Iv Odds

  • Guida  (-240)
  • Hioki  (+190)

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko

Bovada.Iv Odds

  • Bader                 (-550)
  • Matyushenko   (+375)

Simeon Thoresen vs. David Mitchell

Bovada.Iv Odds

  • Thoresen  (-250)
  • Mitchell    (+195)

Mike Russow vs. Shawn Jordan

Bovada.Iv Odds

  • Russow   (-165)
  • Jordan    (+135)

Mike Stumpf vs. Pascal Krauss

Bovada.Iv Odds

  • Stumpf  (+220)
  • Krauss   (-280)

Rafael Natal vs. Magnus Cedenblad

Bovada.Iv Odds

  • Natal            (-240)
  • Cedenblad  (+190)

In the semi-main event, former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will square off against skilled Brazilian slugger Glover Teixeira. Teixeira’s striking has caused a good bit of reticence amongst the division’s top contenders, but Rampage is hoping for some of his old magic against the talented upstart. Rounding out the card are a Lightweight showdown between WEC veterans Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Anthony “Showtime” Pettis and a Featherweight bout pitting Erik “New Breed” Koch against Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas.

Make sure to Check back with us closer to fight night as I will have updated UFC on FOX 6 Odds plus Fight Predictions.  And to add a little excitement to your fight night, you can bet on this fight at Bovada.Iv Odds.

UFC on FUEL TV 8: Best FUEL Card So Far?

UFC on FUEL TV 8 continues to get better and better. An already stacked and exciting return to Japan received another boost when Yushin Okami and Hector Lombard were added in a middleweight bout with major divisional significance.The main event of…

UFC on FUEL TV 8 continues to get better and better. An already stacked and exciting return to Japan received another boost when Yushin Okami and Hector Lombard were added in a middleweight bout with major divisional significance.

The main event of the evening is another middleweight clash.

Wanderlei Silva returns to the nation where he had the most success. Silva’s return to Japan will try to be spoiled by “All-American” Brian Stann.

But is this the best FUEL TV offering to date? On paper, yes.

As fans we have been fooled before. UFC President Dana White has been fooled before. Sometimes no matter how fantastic a card may look on paper the fights just do not deliver, and other times the cards that look like utter garbage to us are the ones that thrill from start to finish.

Previous FUEL TV cards have given us remarkable fights, but not really a card full of action from top to bottom.

The first offering was solid, and it was capped off with a fantastic fight between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez. Heavyweight’s Stefan Struve and Stipe Miocic stepped up to offer a couple finishes on the main card, and so did bantamweight Ivan Menjivar as well.

The second FUEL TV show may be the current leader for best on the network, and may be tough to top.

Alexander Gustafsson and Thiago Silva was the main event that evening, but it was not the fight that helped make that card so great. That distinction falls to the undercard guys. Brian Stann knocked out Alessio Sakara, Siyar Bahadurzada flattened Paulo Thiago, Dennis Siver and Diego Nunes went for three rounds, DaMarques Johnson tapped out to a John Maguire armbar and Brad Pickett finished Damacio Page.

The prelims were nothing to scoff at either. James Head, Cyrille Diabate, Francis Carmont, Reza Madadi, and Simeon Thoresen all finished their fights. The only prelim not to finish was a featherweight scrap between Jason Young and Eric Wisely.

Top to bottom that card delivered. The UFC’s return to Japan has the opportunity to do the same, but with greater impact that comes with bigger names and more significant fights.

This FUEL TV card is littered with talent who rarely, if ever, fail us.

Who else is on this card besides the two previously mentioned middleweight bouts?

Heavyweight finishers Mark Hunt and Stefan Struve will clash in the co-main event of the evening. Hunt can keep a winning streak alive and try to rally his fans with another KO performance, but he is vulnerable to submissions, which is a problem against the savvy Struve.

Diego Sanchez may be the all-time most exciting fighter in UFC history. Look at his record and look at all the remarkable battles. At UFC on FUEL he will meet another exciting lightweight in “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi. The lightweight tilt has fight of the night written all over it.

Need more? Siyar Bahadurzada takes on Dong Hyun Kim, Mizuto Hirota meets Rani Yahya, and Takeya Mizugaki returns against Bryan Caraway.

There are still three more fights that will be given to us on that early March card: Riki Fukuda vs. Brad Tavares, Cristiano Marcello vs. Kazuki Tokudome, and Marcelo Guimaraes vs. Hyun Gyu Lim.

Topping that second FUEL card is a tall task, but this card has better fighters with more divisional impact. Wins can alter rankings and future matches. We are not just getting good fights, but good fights with impact. That is what fans truly want.

And we are getting it all for free. That is important to remember.

We will not be able to judge this card accurately until after the fights have transpired and we get our fix of violence, but two months out this card looks phenomenal. UFC on FUEL TV will deliver once again with a full slate of four-ounce leather flying action.

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