We caught up with Carlos Newton briefly over the weekend in Toronto at the MMA Expo and the former UFC welterweight champion surprised us with the news that he has retired.
“I’m retired,” Newton explained. “The sport just isn’t as competitive as it used to be.”
Instead of focusing on preparing to fight inside the cage, “The Ronin” says he has turned his focus on fighting for proper regulation by the people who officiate both inside and outside of it.
“I’m just concentrating on helping to improve the regulation of the sport and I’m looking into becoming a judge. I think that as fighters we have a lot more knowledge and insight into the intricacies of what’s going on in a fight than someone who has never competed. MMA judging needs fixing and I’m hoping I can help do it.”
By Mike Russell
We caught up with Carlos Newton briefly over the weekend in Toronto at the MMA Expo and the former UFC welterweight champion surprised us with the news that he has retired.
“I’m retired,” Newton explained. “The sport just isn’t as competitive as it used to be.”
Instead of focusing on preparing to fight inside the cage, “The Ronin” says he has turned his focus on fighting for proper regulation by the people who officiate both inside and outside of it.
“I’m just concentrating on helping to improve the regulation of the sport and I’m looking into becoming a judge. I think that as fighters we have a lot more knowledge and insight into the intricacies of what’s going on in a fight than someone who has never competed. MMA judging needs fixing and I’m hoping I can help do it.”
Having competed sporadically over the past few years, the 35-year-old Canadian racked up a 3-4 record in his past seven fights since 2006, but two of those losses were decisions to UFC vets Brian Ebersole (unanimous) and Renzo Gracie (split).
He will perhaps be best remembered, however, for his controversial knockout loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 134 back in 2001.
With a triangle choke locked in, Hughes picked Newton up carried him over to the cage in front of his corner and slammed him on the canvas, knocking the champion out and winning the strap. On further inspection of the replay of the bout, it appears that Hughes was actually choked unconscious by the triangle and simply fell down, dropping Carlos in the process. The impact actually woke him up and when referee “Big” John McCarthy tapped him to inform him he had won, he asked him what had happened.
(Video courtesy of Videolog/esportesdagalera)
Although he denied being out, Hughes can be heard on the original video telling his cornerman, Pat Miletich, “I was out. I was out.”
(Video courtesy of YouTube/PGudmunson)
He says that retirement won’t mean taking time off to relax on a sunny beach.
“I’m still training and teaching and I’ve got my [construction project management] business and a few other ventures I’m working on,” he explained. “I’m also [still going] to architecture school.”
Newton, who retires with a 16-14 record, (which is deceiving considering the level of competitionsays that martial arts and MMA is a part of him, and as such, no matter if he’s competing or not, fighting will be in his life in some way or another.
“I’ll always be involved with the sport,” he said. “Definitely.”
(Sherk’s hoping to get off the sidelines next year)
Sean Sherk has been noticeably absent from competition the past year since his UFC 119 split decision win over Evan Dunham, but it hasn’t been by choice.
The 38-year-old former UFC lightweight champ, who has only fought twice since 2009, has had a rocky road the past three years with injuries forcing him out of fights with Gleison Tibau, Josh Neer and Jim Miller.
MMAHQ caught up with Sherk (36-4-1) during a recent seminar tour in the UK and “The Muscle Shark” said that he is planning on getting back in the Octagon next year and that he would like to take one final run at the lightweight strap before hanging up his four ounce gloves for good.
“It’s a goal definitely and I’ve still got the skills and abilities to get back there up at the top. I’ve got to get back in there and get back to action as soon as I can. I know that next year will be very important to my career and to how I’m remembered in the sport and I’m ready to get back in there and start making a big difference in that division,” Sherk says. “I need to get in the Octagon once or twice in the next year, get some wins and work my way back up to the lightweight title.”
(Sherk’s hoping to get off the sidelines next year)
Sean Sherk has been noticeably absent from competition the past year since his UFC 119 split decision win over Evan Dunham, but it hasn’t been by choice.
The 38-year-old former UFC lightweight champ, who has only fought twice since 2009, has had a rocky road the past three years with injuries forcing him out of fights with Gleison Tibau, Josh Neer and Jim Miller.
MMAHQ caught up with Sherk (36-4-1) during a recent seminar tour in the UK and “The Muscle Shark” said that he is planning on getting back in the Octagon next year and that he would like to take one final run at the lightweight strap before hanging up his four ounce gloves for good.
“It’s a goal definitely and I’ve still got the skills and abilities to get back there up at the top. I’ve got to get back in there and get back to action as soon as I can. I know that next year will be very important to my career and to how I’m remembered in the sport and I’m ready to get back in there and start making a big difference in that division,” Sherk says. “I need to get in the Octagon once or twice in the next year, get some wins and work my way back up to the lightweight title.”
Standing in his way, besides the current crop of contenders will be the current champ, Frankie Edgar — the last man to beat Sherk at UFC 98 in 2009. This time around, though, he says he feels like he has “the answer” to beating Edgar.
“I’ve progressed a huge amount since then but so has he so there’s definitely another great, exciting fight in there. As a fighter you have to be confident about your skills but also objective and I honestly think that I’ve got the tools to beat Edgar but that’s my opinion,” he explains. “The last fight was great though and I know that, whatever happened, the fans would get an exciting fight.”
Whether or not he’s paying his respects or setting the stage for an eventual fight if Bendo beats Edgar when the two meet in Japan, Sherk points to Ben Henderson as being one of the divisions top young prospects and says that UFC’s 155-pound class is one of the most stacked in the industry.
“The UFC lightweight division is the toughest in the world to be honest with you and it keeps getting tougher. The UFC bought over those WEC guys and I mean Ben Henderson’s looking like a total stud at the moment,” Sherk points out. “He’s just beaten two of the toughest guys in the division. He came out of nowhere and nobody expected that so he’s a perfect illustration of just how tough this division is and it gets tougher day by day.”
With The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale just a couple weeks away, many of us have been wondering how prepared Jason Miller was for his return to the UFC, especially considering that he hasn’t truly faced legitimate competition since his unanimous decision loss to Jake Shields just over 2 years ago. Aaron Tru of TruMMA was able to catch up with the Team Mayhem coach recently, and aside from playing a good old fashioned game of “Sactap,” was able to achieve a rather serious conversation with Miller, at one point even discussing the WEC and Strikeforce veteran’s seriousness (or lack thereof) when it comes to training. And “Mayhem” was quick to set things straight for those doubters out there:
On his training camp: “[Training] is going fantastic. I’m really surprised. This is the first camp that I’ve got a super serious camp in my entire career, and I’m an old damn man by fighter’s standards. It feels awesome. I’ve never been in such good shape and I’ve never had such a good mental focus going into a fight. It’s really refreshing. I was like, ‘Oh, this is what training camp is supposed to be like.'”
On how serious he takes his training: “The reason I do this sport, the reason I got into this career, was because I enjoy going to a padded room where I can act as crazy as I want and it’s not an institution. I think you can train seriously and still have a lot of fun. Even on The Ultimate Fighter, here at Reign Training Center, even going back to high school wrestling, I was always like the funny guy on the team and I feel like it keeps morale up.”
It’s hard to disagree with Miller, who has shown a true knack for not only coaching but connecting with his team on this season of The Ultimate Fighter, whereas Team Bisping seemingly can’t have a sparring session that doesn’t erupt into a brawl at some point.
Check out some more highlights from the interview after the jump.
With The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale just a couple weeks away, many of us have been wondering how prepared Jason Miller was for his return to the UFC, especially considering that he hasn’t truly faced legitimate competition since his unanimous decision loss to Jake Shields just over 2 years ago. Aaron Tru of TruMMA was able to catch up with the Team Mayhem coach recently, and aside from playing a good old fashioned game of “Sactap,” was able to achieve a rather serious conversation with Miller, at one point even discussing the WEC and Strikeforce veteran’s seriousness (or lack thereof) when it comes to training. And “Mayhem” was quick to set things straight for those doubters out there:
On his training camp: “[Training] is going fantastic. I’m really surprised. This is the first camp that I’ve got a super serious camp in my entire career, and I’m an old damn man by fighter’s standards. It feels awesome. I’ve never been in such good shape and I’ve never had such a good mental focus going into a fight. It’s really refreshing. I was like, ‘Oh, this is what training camp is supposed to be like.’”
On how serious he takes his training: “The reason I do this sport, the reason I got into this career, was because I enjoy going to a padded room where I can act as crazy as I want and it’s not an institution. I think you can train seriously and still have a lot of fun. Even on The Ultimate Fighter, here at Reign Training Center, even going back to high school wrestling, I was always like the funny guy on the team and I feel like it keeps morale up.”
It’s hard to disagree with Miller, who has shown a true knack for not only coaching but connecting with his team on this season of The Ultimate Fighter, whereas Team Bisping seemingly can’t have a sparring session that doesn’t erupt into a brawl at some point.
Some highlights:
On comraderie: “I feel like that’s kind of lost in American culture. The man has gone into hiding.” [He wasn’t hiding, Mayhem, he was waiting.]
On sacrifice for his teammates: “The minute that my life started going better was when I stopped asking ‘What can you do for me?’ and started asking ‘What can I do for you?’ I grew up in an environment where the people that were succeeding were the bad guys. When you become an adult it’s all about what you can give to them and then you get it back tenfold.”
On the power of Movember: “Maybe it’s this mustache having an influence on me, but I feel grown up.” [Please Mayhem, don’t let this affect your future ring entrances.]
On Bisping falling off the air hockey table: “I was mad that I lost, but was immediately absolved of all pain because that was worth 10 g’s right there…TV gold.”
On standing and trading with Bisping come fight time: “Absolutely I can. I’ll go ahead and make the bet with you right now that he shoots for a takedown first. There’s no way he doesn’t. He always does it. Dan Henderson took his soul. I’m going to take the rest. I’m gonna knock him out or submit him in the first round.”
Here’s hoping, Mayhem, here’s hoping. The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale goes down on December 3rd at the Palms Casino in Vegas.
“My regular training schedule was interrupted briefly after I broke a bone and had it pinned for faster and stronger healing – but now I am right back at full speed, 100% healthy, working like an animal, loving every minute and can feel that my training performance has clearly reached a new career high for me – I am really pumped and ready to go!!” -Jessica Aguilar, on training PicProps: Tom Hill
When you look into Jessica Aguilar’s training regimen, you know that you’re dealing with a dedicated athlete. Her typical schedule is brutal. Her gym, American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, is home to elite fighters. Her “personal time” — a couple of hours carved out of the afternoon — are usually spent working, to supplement a fighting income that doesn’t always square with having the best equipment, or a registered dietitian on call, or a hyperbaric chamber in your back yard.
Not that you’ll hear her complain. Aguilar gets by the with help of her sponsors, and she’s quick to point it out. But unlike the usual ham-handed attempts by fighters to plug companies that send them checks, Aguilar comes across as genuinely appreciative of the people and companies who have supported her through lean times. Talk to her for five minutes, and you realize that the positivity and tenacity aren’t marketing points, they’re deeply ingrained character traits. That attitude, the relentless optimism, the rugged determination, have served Aguilar well in her six year career.
Join us after the jump for all of CP’s exclusive interview with Jessica.
“My regular training schedule was interrupted briefly after I broke a bone and had it pinned for faster and stronger healing – but now I am right back at full speed, 100% healthy, working like an animal, loving every minute and can feel that my training performance has clearly reached a new career high for me – I am really pumped and ready to go!!” -Jessica Aguilar, on training PicProps: Tom Hill
When you look into Jessica Aguilar’s training regimen, you know that you’re dealing with a dedicated athlete. Her typical schedule is brutal. Her gym, American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, is home to elite fighters. Her “personal time” — a couple of hours carved out of the afternoon — are usually spent working, to supplement a fighting income that doesn’t always square with having the best equipment, or a registered dietitian on call, or a hyperbaric chamber in your back yard.
Not that you’ll hear her complain. Aguilar gets by the with help of her sponsors, and she’s quick to point it out. But unlike the usual ham-handed attempts by fighters to plug companies that send them checks, Aguilar comes across as genuinely appreciative of the people and companies who have supported her through lean times. Talk to her for five minutes, and you realize that the positivity and tenacity aren’t marketing points, they’re deeply ingrained character traits. That attitude, the relentless optimism, the rugged determination, have served Aguilar well in her six year career.
Jessica Aguilar never meant to start a career in MMA. A life-long athlete, a twenty-three year old Aguilar had just moved from Texas to Florida. The story goes that she started training BJJ on a whim after showing up late for her aerobics class one day, and it clicked from day one.
She was a quick study, and her instructors threw her into a NAGA grappling tournament two months after she started rolling. Not long after that, she was approached by a promoter at an amateur competition, asking if she’d take a pro fight. Aguilar, completely ignorant of what she was getting herself into (and expecting to lay down an entrance fee), agreed to take the fight by asking, “Sure, I’ll compete, how much do I pay?”
Aguilar got paid for that first fight she took with almost no training and less experience, and she caught a loss to Lisa Ward. Ward was then, and still is, a top five fighter in the women’s 115 pound division.
Aguilar went on to assemble an 8-3 record before being invited to take part in Bellator’s inaugural women’s tournament. She scored a business-like arm triangle choke on Lynn Alvarez in the first round, moving her ahead in the tournament to fight Zoila Frausto. Frausto won the decision, but this is what the competitors looked like afterwards. Jessica Aguilar, unscratched, smiled and applauded graciously when the decision was announced.
Jag returned quickly to the cage, picking up a submission win over Elsie Henri less than two months after her screw job loss, then a decision win over powerful wrestler Carla Esparza.
A Frausto rematch was planned, then scrapped, when Jag’s recovery from surgery wasn’t proceeding properly. Another opportunity presented itself in the form of another old loss: Lisa Ward. She’s Lisa Ward-Ellis now, but she’s still the same fighter: a top-ranked contender in the weight class with a win over Aguilar back in February 2006. Jag wants to erase that loss, but what she really wants is a shot at the best female fighter in her weight class. Thing is, the current Bellator women’s champ isn’t who she’s talking about: Jag has her sights set on Megumi Fujii.
(Monson when he fought Tim Sylvia for the UFC HW title)
Longtime Mixed Martial Arts fans are very familiar with ‘The Snowman’ Jeff Monson. He made his name as a Division 1 wrestler for Oregon State University, made his professional MMA debut in 1997, and has been a dominate force in the submission grappling world for many years. He has fought for every major MMA organization and one of the few fighters in the world to have fought on all corners of the globe. Back in 2006, fresh off a decision loss toTim Sylvia for the heavyweight title he requested a release from the UFC with intentions of one day facing Fedor Emelianenko. Negotiations fell through and the fight never happened until now.
Fedor vs. Monson will be held on Russian soil under the M-1 Global banner on November 20th 2011. Jeff took time out of his day to speak to the Lowkick.com about his upcoming fight with Fedor, the future of Strikeforce, tattoos and the idea of an epic battle between him and the ancient Roman emperor Julius Caesar. No holds are barred from this interview and this is a must read for fans of one of the most interesting people in Mixed Martial Arts.
You’ll be facing one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport when you go to Moscow, Russia to face Fedor Emelianenko. What have you been working in your camp to ensure victory on November 20th?
His standup is up is probably one of his greatest assets. I’ve been doing a lot of striking in my camp. In the past I didn’t really feel confident in it, but now we’ve been working on it and I feel much better in it.
(Monson when he fought Tim Sylvia for the UFC HW title)
Longtime Mixed Martial Arts fans are very familiar with ‘The Snowman’ Jeff Monson. He made his name as a Division 1 wrestler for Oregon State University, made his professional MMA debut in 1997, and has been a dominate force in the submission grappling world for many years. He has fought for every major MMA organization and one of the few fighters in the world to have fought on all corners of the globe. Back in 2006, fresh off a decision loss toTim Sylvia for the heavyweight title he requested a release from the UFC with intentions of one day facing Fedor Emelianenko. Negotiations fell through and the fight never happened until now.
Fedor vs. Monson will be held on Russian soil under the M-1 Global banner on November 20th 2011. Jeff took time out of his day to speak to the Lowkick.com about his upcoming fight with Fedor, the future of Strikeforce, tattoos and the idea of an epic battle between him and the ancient Roman emperor Julius Caesar. No holds are barred from this interview and this is a must read for fans of one of the most interesting people in Mixed Martial Arts.
You’ll be facing one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport when you go to Moscow, Russia to face Fedor Emelianenko. What have you been working in your camp to ensure victory on November 20th?
His standup is up is probably one of his greatest assets. I’ve been doing a lot of striking in my camp. In the past I didn’t really feel confident in it, but now we’ve been working on it and I feel much better in it.
After losing three straight back in Strikeforce, it appears that Fedor may perhaps be in the twilight of his career. From what you’ve observed in his three losing fights or any of his past fights what sort of holes in his game will you be looking to exploit?
I don’t think he’s in his twilight; he’s only 33 years old. He hasn’t taken too much of a beating in his past fights. If you look back at his fights, he dropped Dan Henderson but he got caught with an uppercut. He dropped Fabricio Werdum but got caught in the triangle. The only person who really beat him up recently was Antonio Silva, but he’s like 300lbs. Look at the kind of guys he’s fought. When you fight that many times, when you the roll the dice that many times, you’ll eventually get caught.
You’ll be fighting under the M-1 Global banner on 20th. Have you signed a contract with them or do you have any sort of agreement with them or will you be allowed to fight under any other banner?
I’m still signed with Strikeforce, they actually let me go to M-1 for this fight. I’m still with Strikeforce and this so far is a one shot deal with M-1.
Things got heated from the very beginning when Lansberg asked the number one UFC middleweight contender why he “backed down” from the loser leaves town challenge he issued UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva.
“You might want to take the bass out of your tone, I’m not sure you know who you’re talking to here, but I’ve never backed down from anything, so check your facts,” Sonnen said. “If I tell you I’ll sell you my car for $10,000, do you think I can just call you back a year from now and say, ‘I’ll take the $10,000 for the car’? That’s not how offers work. Is that how you do business in Canada? Cause in my country, that created business, offers expire.I made him an offer, apparently it didn’t work, he didn’t accept it. It’s not that I backed down, but apparently I need to present him with a new offer. You guys probably don’t do that in socialism, but in America, in a capitalistic society, that’s how things work.”
Things got heated from the very beginning when Lansberg asked the number one UFC middleweight contender why he “backed down” from the loser leaves town challenge he issued UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva.
“You might want to take the bass out of your tone, I’m not sure you know who you’re talking to here, but I’ve never backed down from anything, so check your facts,” Sonnen said. “If I tell you I’ll sell you my car for $10,000, do you think I can just call you back a year from now and say, ‘I’ll take the $10,000 for the car’? That’s not how offers work. Is that how you do business in Canada? Cause in my country, that created business, offers expire.I made him an offer, apparently it didn’t work, he didn’t accept it. It’s not that I backed down, but apparently I need to present him with a new offer. You guys probably don’t do that in socialism, but in America, in a capitalistic society, that’s how things work.”
When Lansberg attempted to further explain his original statement, Chael seemed perplexed by the point he was trying to make.
“What are you talking about? What is this, your first day on the job? You’re mixing five different stories here,” he snapped. “This is like doing amateur hour or something. What show am I on here? Is this for public radio?”
“The Gangster from America” genuinely seemed pissed off at the tedious line of questioning by Lansberg and he let the longtime host of “Off the Record” know that he wasn’t impressed with the interview, by continually berating him and eventually walked off the set in apparent disgust.
Besides firing continuous salvos at Lansberg, Chael also took potshots at Silva and UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre during the 10-minute interview.
The Most Interesting Man in the World: 1
Cocky Canadian reporter: 0
