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$11,500 Crowns World’s Best Grappler

Press Release
$11,500 Crowns World’s Best Grappler
LIVE at GoFightLive.tv
LEMOORE, Calif. (July 1, 2010) – Grapplers Quest will crown the “2010 World’s Best Grappler” on Saturday and Sunday, July 10 and 11 with a 32-Man Superfight Tournament at the Tachi Palace Casino in Lemoore, CA.
The 32-Man Superfight Absolute Tournament will feature Alexandre Ribeiro, Jeff Monson, Bill […]

Press Release

$11,500 Crowns World’s Best Grappler
LIVE at GoFightLive.tv

LEMOORE, Calif. (July 1, 2010) – Grapplers Quest will crown the “2010 World’s Best Grappler” on Saturday and Sunday, July 10 and 11 with a 32-Man Superfight Tournament at the Tachi Palace Casino in Lemoore, CA.

The 32-Man Superfight Absolute Tournament will feature Alexandre Ribeiro, Jeff Monson, Bill Cooper, Joao Assis, Lucas Leite, Chris Moriarty, Sean Spangler, Antonio Braga Neto and many more of the world’s best Jiu Jitsu, MMA, Judo and Sambo fighters battling for the largest cash prize and most prestigious No-Gi Submission Grappling title in American history: $11,500 in cash ($10,000 for 1st place, $1,000 for 2nd Place, and $500 for 3rd Place).

GoFightLive.tv will stream the entire 32-Man Tournament (all 30 matches) live starting at 4:00 PM PST and 7:00 PM EST and then on-demand worldwide for just $19.99. Purchase online at: http://www.gofightlive.tv/showEvent.do?eventId=722

For amateur competitors, the event will also feature 200 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Submission Grappling, Judo and Wrestling Divisions for competitors of all skill and belt levels and $3,000 in cash prizes. For event information, competitor registration, tickets and more on the Grapplers Quest at Tachi Palace in Lemoore, California on July 10-11, go to http://www.grapplersquest.com/events/tachi-palace-challenge

“There was no other tournament in 2010 to truly crown The World’s Best Grappler, so Grapplers Quest wanted to step-up and challenge the grappling world with $11,500 in cash,” said Brian Cimins, Grapplers Quest President. “This has been a dream of mine since I started this event in 1998, to ultimately crown the World’s Best, and Tachi Palace Casino and GoFightLive.tv will make this dream a reality and you can witness it live around the world.”

The 32-Man Tournament will feature Alexandre “Xande” Ribeiro (multiple-time World Jiu Jitsu Champion and 3-time Grapplers Quest Pro Champion), Joao Assis (2010 UFC Fan Expo Absolute Champion), Jeff “Snowman” Monson (former World Champion, UFC Veteran), Bill “The Grill” Cooper (26-Time Grapplers Quest), Rustam Chsiev (K-Dojo, 5tTime Pro Grapplers Quest Absolute Champion), Lucas Leite (CBJJ World Champion), Kelly Anundson (American Top Team, 2010 USA Wrestling/World Grappling Champion), Sean Spangler (2009 World Series of Grappling Cruiserweight Champion, Robert Drysdale Black Belt), Brandon “The Animal” Olsen (Team Pain Cave, World Series Silver Medalist), Marcelo “Lapela” Mafra (2009 World Series of Grappling Champion), Cameron Diffley (AutismRadio.org Charity Superfight Champion), Chris Moriarty (ADCC Veteran), John Toth (Team Balance/2008 All-Star Pro Challenge Champion), Carlos Diego Ferreira Neves (Amazonas BJJ), Peter Iacavazzi (Sylvio Behring Black Belt, 7-time Grapplers Quest Advanced Champion), Brian McLaughlin (The Ultimate Fighter contestant, Precision MMA, Kardian MMA), Enrico Cocco (Zen Jiu Jitsu, 2009 ADCC North American Champion, 6-time Grapplers Quest Champion, Walter “Cascao” Vital (Mica/Machado/Cascao), Bruno Bastos (Nova Uniao, World Champion), Leopoldo Serao (World Champion from Fairtex), Stephen Martinez (Millenia MMA, 3-time Grapplers Quest Advanced Champion), Chris Downum (Camarillo Jiu Jitsu), Nathan “The Great” Ducharme (David Terrell), Antonio Braga Neto (Evolve MMA, Brazil and Singapore), Jason Manly (Jake Shields’ Gracie Fighter Berkeley), Paul Stark (2010 Canadian Absolute Champion), James Popoulo (Rafael Lovato Jr.), Alexandre Ceconi (2010 ADCC Pro World Black Belt Champion), and Luke Rockhold (American Kickboxing Academy/Strikeforce Contender). The card is subject to change. Alternate are spots available, submit resumes at: http://www.grapplersquest.com/contact

For event information, competitor registration, tickets and more on the Grapplers Quest at Tachi Palace in Lemoore, California on July 10-11, go to: http://www.grapplersquest.com/events/tachi-palace-challenge

Time For MFC’s Antonio McKee To Defend His Title

Press Release
Time for McKee to defend
Super-skilled wrestler can’t be shelved any longer

Seven years and four months.
Flip the pages on a calendar – it will take a while – but it has been that long since Antonio McKee suffered a loss.
The reigning MFC lightweight champion is a consummate pro and an intellectual fighter, but also a […]

Press Release

Time for McKee to defend
Super-skilled wrestler can’t be shelved any longer

Seven years and four months.

Flip the pages on a calendar – it will take a while – but it has been that long since Antonio McKee suffered a loss.

The reigning MFC lightweight champion is a consummate pro and an intellectual fighter, but also a title-holder currently wearing an undefendable belt. The one opportunity McKee had to put his championship on the line came at MFC 22 but his foe, Carlo Prater, came in overweight and the five-round bout was changed to a three-rounder. McKee still scooted away with a clear-cut decision but it was not what he nor MFC wanted out of the night.

So what lies ahead for the organization’s first 155-pound champ? Honestly speaking, there would appear to be only one showdown in the works for McKee. Because of his spectacular skills as a wrestler (which go hand-in-hand with a phenomenal cardio gas tank) McKee is incredibly difficult to match up.

Selection of his opponent is critical and McKee is not an easy target. In the fight for the title, the only time McKee was ever in the slightest amount of trouble came when Derrick Noble was able to land strikes from the outside, in particular a cracking blow near the end of Round 1. But in tight it was McKee’s world and a dominating conclusion ensued.

Match McKee against a striker and he’s going to put his wrestling to use, pretty well exclusively to grind out a verdict as evidenced by 18 of his 22 wins coming by way of decision. That rationale leads one to assume that a clash between McKee and fellow veteran Yves Edwards wouldn’t be a good mix. Edwards, who is coming off a first-round mowdown of Noble at MFC 24, might get one chance to flatten McKee with a strike before he’s scooped up, dropped on his back, and smothered. McKee isn’t going to risk getting clipped on the chin and will neutralize Edwards to the point a dreary, dull decision.

So as McKee pointed out while sitting ringside at MFC 25, about the only way to force him into an exciting fight is to put him against a slick submission fighter.

McKee won’t want to mess around on the mat, fearing he could get caught in a trap which would make him more inclined to keep the fight on the feet. McKee does have a couple of TKO victories to his credit and is definitely the kind of guy who pushed into a sticky situation would come out swinging. In an interesting turn, a more aggressive showing in the ring by McKee may well spark a fight-first-wrestle-second mentality in the combatants he trains, specifically former MFC light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton.

If anyone currently in the MFC stable has a shot against McKee, it would seem to be newly signed Brazilian Luciano Azevedo. Not yet a brand-name product, Azevedo has the jiu-jitsu repertoire – 12 of 16 wins via submission including five tapouts under the pressure of his triangle choke – that would take away most of McKee’s rival ground game, forcing both fighters to settle the issue throwing punches, kicks, and knees. The fight could very well wind up on the ground but it’s unlikely that a dull stalemate would result since McKee doesn’t own the mat in this fight – it’s Azevedo’s world down there too.

A tilt with Azevedo is a likely occurrence though the MFC is looking at a few other options including a talent search to the Far East in exploration of mining more lightweight talent. Whatever way the matchup bounces, it’s long overdue that McKee defend his belt.

Zoila Frausto First KO’s Rosi Sexton And Then Replaces Her In Bellator’s Season 3.

CHICAGO, Ill. (June 28, 2010) – Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Frausto, who shocked the MMA world with her stunning KO of the world’s top-ranked and heavily favored Rosi Sexton at Bellator 23 last Thursday, has been added to Bellator’s upcoming Women’s Tournament.
Frausto, a 26-year-old Central California native who improved her pro MMA record to 7-1 […]

Frausto, a 26-year-old Central California native who improved her pro MMA record to 7-1 with the highlight-reel knockout, replaces Sexton, who was forced out of the tournament due to a 60-day medical suspension from the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority.

Frausto joins seven other female fighters who are all ranked among the world’s 10 best in their respective weight classes.

The others are Japanese MMA sensation and the world’s No. 1 pound-for pound female fighter, Megumi Fujii, 12-5 Seattle submission artist Lisa Ward, 7-0 Southern California striker Jessica Pene, 8-4 New Mexico-based submission specialist Angela Magana, 5-1 Las Vegas-based powerhouse Lynn Alvarez, 9-0 Irish sensation Aisling Daly and 8-4 American Top Team product Jessica Aguilar.

Overall, the eight women boast a career winning percentage of .835 (76 wins and 15 losses).

“With a highlight knockout that’s already generated over 70,000 YouTube views, Zoila stamped her ticket to our women’s Tournament,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The purpose of our women’s tournament is simply to determine the best pound-for-pound female fighter in the world, and with such a dominant performance against the worlds’s No. 1-ranked 125 pound fighter, there was no way to not include Zoila in this line up. She earned her place by beating the best.”

Frausto’s shocking knockout – which can be seen here- came roughly two minutes into Round 1 of her fight against Sexton.

The left knee to the chin knocked Sexton her unconscious and dropped her to the canvas before the referee stoped the fight when Frausto delivered three right hands to the jaw. It was just the second career loss for Sexton in 12 pro MMA fights.

“I saw the opening and I just threw the knee up,” Frausto said after the fight, adding that she thinks she now deserves to be ranked No. 1 in the world at 125. “I’ve been shooting for No. 1 since I got into the sport. This is exactly why I got into MMA.”

The tournament begins on Aug. 12 and will once again be televised LIVE in primetime every Thursday night on FOX Sports Net and during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator. Tickets are available at www.Ticketmaster.com.

Maximum Fighting’s Neil Turns Career Corner June 24

Press Release
Gavin Neil would have to be considered among the MFC’s most promising prospects, having already amassed a solid 8-1 record over the course of his career.
There’s still plenty of work to do, yet the Victoria, British Columbia, native has taken an important step in the process of becoming a real contender.
“I […]

Press Release

Gavin Neil would have to be considered among the MFC’s most promising prospects, having already amassed a solid 8-1 record over the course of his career.

There’s still plenty of work to do, yet the Victoria, British Columbia, native has taken an important step in the process of becoming a real contender.

“I think he’s turned a mental corner,” noted trainer Adam Zugec of his ZUMA product who is known to many MFC fans as “Forrest” for his Gump-like demeanor.

“Honestly, I’ve been waiting forever for it to come. He’s become a real different person in the gym because he’s really started to believe in himself . there’s just so much more self-confidence. I’m excited to see how it’s going to affect him because I think he could be very dangerous.”

As soft-spoken and unassuming as he is, Neil certainly did prove to be dangerous against veteran Richie Hightower at MFC 25 back in May. A crushing left hook floored Hightower and Neil pounced, ultimately forcing Hightower to tap just moments later under the weight of a rear-naked choke. It was Neil’s sixth win in seven fights under the MFC banner and moved him a step closer to the upper echelon of the MFC’s 155-pound division.

Having already proven himself against a wave of up-and-comers – wins over Alain Hernandez, Evan Sanguin, and Jason Zorthian all coming inside the first round – the victory over Hightower showed Neil is ready for more seasoned opposition. That is all part of Zugec’s grand game plan for his likeable lightweight.

“He’s really gained a lot of confidence off that last fight and now I think he’s really found a groove,” said Zugec.

With that mental corner turned, the next curve to negotiate is a physical one.

“I need to get him a tanning salon sponsor,” laughed Zugec. “He does need to put on some muscle so we’re going to build on his frame. Gavin wants to fight three times a year and now we’ll just wait to see who the next fight is going to be against. But we’ll be ready and Gavin is going to take another big step.”

Fabricio Werdum Shocks MMA World By Submitting “The Last Emporer”

(this photo and more can be found at Strikeforce.com)
Press Release
Catch Replay On Monday, June 28, 2010, At 10 P.M. ET/PT On SHOWTIME 2
SAN JOSE, Calif. (June 27, 2010) – On a historic night of Mixed Martial arts presented by STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL and televised on SHOWTIME®, two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” […]

(this photo and more can be found at Strikeforce.com)
Press Release

Catch Replay On Monday, June 28, 2010, At 10 P.M. ET/PT On SHOWTIME 2

SAN JOSE, Calif. (June 27, 2010) – On a historic night of Mixed Martial arts presented by STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL and televised on SHOWTIME®, two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (14-4) registered the most spectacular upset in MMA history with a 1:09, first-round submission (triangle choke) over the world’s No. 1 heavyweight and pound-for-pound fighter, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-2) before 12,649 Saturday at HP Pavilion.

Fedor, a six-footer, had Werdum in trouble in the opening moments after dropping him with a right uppercut that was followed with several more punches. But from his back, Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and member of Brazil’s vaunted Chute Boxe fight squad, got Fedor into a combination triangle- and arm-choke. Within seconds, the fight was over. The famed Fedor had tapped out.

“I am so very, very happy,’’ the six-foot-four Werdum said. “He is such a strong man. He is a great fighter. I would be glad to fight him again.’’

It was the first “legitimate’’ defeat in Fedor’s legendary career. His other loss, while official, came as a result of a disputed doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000.

“One that doesn’t fall doesn’t stand up. I was concentrating on the strikes and made a mistake,’’ Fedor said. “I will have to go back and analyze what happened.’’

Saturday marked the first time in MMA history, the No. 1 male and female fighters in the world fought in the same cage on the same night.

While Fedor failed in a stunning shocker, the top women’s fighter, Cris Cyborg (10-1) of Curitibia, Brazil, was her usual brutal self as she retained the STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Middleweight (145 pounds) title with a dominant second-round (2:27) knockout (strikes) over game, determined challenger, Jan Finney (8-8) of Springfield, Ohio, in one of the featured fights on SHOWTIME.

In other televised fights, former STRIKEFORCE middleweight champion and hometown favorite, southpaw Cung Le (17-3) of San Jose, convincingly stopped Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith (18-7) of Elk Grove, Calif., at 1:46 in the second round; and popular, local fan favorite and former STRIKEFORCE world lightweight belt-holder Josh “The Punk’’ Thomson (17-3), of San Jose, turned back a determined bid of Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy (23-16) of Portland, Ore., to score a hard-fought, third-round submission. A tight, even fight ended via rear-naked choke at 4:27.

In an emotional moment midway through the telecast, MMA pioneer and San Jose’s original favorite MMA son, Frank “The Legend’’ Shamrock, made one last walk down the ramp, in a suit, no less, and into the cage where he formally announced his retirement.

As the respectful fans stood and listened in appreciation, Shamrock, who is an expert analyst for SHOWTIME MMA telecasts, took the microphone, surrounded by family, promoters and executives, and said: “I’m 37. My time has come. Tonight, I announce my retirement. Tonight, I enter the cage for the last time as a fighter. I want to thank the people, my friend and an honest promoter, Scott Coker, for always keeping his word. In 2006, I threw one punch and STRIKEFORCE was born. Again, I want to thank all the people, the HP Pavilion and my family who put up with my craziness that was MMA. You, the fans were there when I won, and when I lost, and it was an honor for me to bleed and to break bones and entertain you.’’

Shamrock then slowly bowed to each side of the cage, precipitating one final roar of cheers from those in attendance.

By defeating Fedor, Werdum’s record now against the Emelianenko’s is 2-0. On Nov. 26, 2006, Werdum submitted Fedor’s brother, Aleksander, via arm triangle choke at 3:24 in the first round in Rotterdam, Holland.

Werdum may also have earned an immediate shot at STRIKEFORCE heavyweight world champion, Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem, whom he’s already defeated once. “I am ready to fight anybody,’’ Werdum said.

Cyborg, who had a meaningless point deducted for hitting behind the head in the opening round, praised Finney, who went down several times, but felt the fight could have been halted earlier.

“I was really surprised the fight wasn’t stopped in the first round,’’ said Cyborg after her 10th consecutive victory. “I know she was trying hard, but I could tell I was hurting her, especially when she was down and covering up like she was. But it is my job to keep fighting until the fight is over.’’

Cyborg was crowned the first STRIKEFORCE women’s champion in history on Aug. 15, 2009, after she stopped Gina Carano in the first round at HP Pavilion.

Finney fought as hard as anyone could expect and, true to her word, kept firing back.

“I think this, being a world title fight, could have gone on a little longer,’’ she said. “If I was really hurt, I would have tapped.’’

Southpaw Le, who had dominated Smith before getting stopped last Dec. 19, left little to doubt this time around. A spinning leg kick to the body dropped Smith and after a succession of punches, the referee stepped in. Afterward, an ecstatic Le back-flipped out.

“I want to thank Scott Coker and SHOWTIME. I know what happened last time and was determined not to have it happen again. I knew I was in shape. I was pushed really hard during training. I was totally focused. I didn’t eat pizza. I didn’t eat chocolate for six or seven weeks.

“If Scott Coker wants a rubber match, that would be fine with me. Last time was Scott (Smith’s) night. This was my night. I am the one standing.’’

Strikeforce Workout Quotes With Fedor, Cyborg, Le And Thomson

SAN JOSE (June 23, 2010) – This Saturday, STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL will make history when they present a Mixed Martial Arts fight card that will feature the universally recognized No. 1 male and female fighters in the world stepping into the same cage on the same night for the first time. The eagerly awaited […]

Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko, the world’s No. 1 pound for pound fighter, will take on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and top-ranked heavyweight Fabricio Werdum in the main event. The No. 1 female fighter, Cris Cyborg, will defend her STRIKEFORCE Women’s World 145-pounds Championship against Jan Finney in the semi-main.

Fedor and Cyborg were joined by Cung Le and Josh Thomson, who also will appear in featured fights on Saturday, at a Media Workout Wednesday at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA).

Le, of San Jose, is a former STRIKEFORCE middleweight titlist. He relinquished the belt last year to pursue an acting career that has since spawned two major motion picture releases, but returned Dec. 19, 2009, at HP Pavilion to face Sacramento’s Scott Smith. Le dominated before losing via a shocking third-round KO. He’ll take on Smith in a rematch of one of MMA’s most epic come-from-behind knockouts.

Thomson, of San Jose, will return to the cage for the first time since losing the STRIKEFORCE world lightweight title to top rival Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez on Dec. 19, 2009. He’ll face dangerous submission artist Pat “Bam Bam” Healy in a lightweight bout.

Tickets for STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online www.ticketmaster.com) as well as www.strikeforce.com. For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com.

What they had to say:

FEDOR
“I am always interesting in performing against top 10 fighters and Werdum has been in the top 10 for a long time. He’s a good, very patient fighter who thinks a lot and I am very happy to be fighting him. Style-wise, this should be a very interesting fight.

“The talk about me entering politics are false rumors. As long as I am competing in MMA, there will be no politics for me.

“MMA is a beautiful kind of sport that combines various elements of martial arts. You need to be good in all of them. I am excited about having my wife with me for the first time for a fight of mine in the United States.’’

CRIS CYBORG
“I’m very anxious to get back in the cage and very excited about this fight. It is a great honor to be on the same card as Fedor. I’m looking forward to meeting him and seeing all the other fighters on this show.

“I know Jan Finney is coming to win this. I don’t have a specific plan but I’m ready for anything. I’ll see how the fight starts and then go from there. I expect a tough fight.

“It will be great having (husband and fellow STRIKEFORCE fighter) Evangelista in my corner again. He couldn’t be there last time. He is the one who trains me, who got me started in this sport, so I love it when he is in the corner.

“I’d much rather be the one fighting than having to watch him fight. All I can think of while I am watching him fight is, ‘I hope this ends very quickly.’ ’’

(see the quotes from Cung Le and Josh Thomson after the jump )

CUNG LE
“I dominated for two-and-a-half-rounds the first time against Scott. Before the last round, my corner told me to take it easy and not take any unnecessary chances. But rather than listen, I tried to close the show with a bang, but it backfired on me.

“Saturday is a new day and a new fight. It is not our last fight and it isn’t last year. I am amped for it.

“I learned a hard lesson from our first fight, but I am determined to move forward. I love to compete and I am very excited about this fight.’’

JOSH THOMSON
“I didn’t make any excuses after the last fight with Gilbert, but ring rust is real. I didn’t get it gone, and Gilbert looked very good but I know why I lost and that is because I didn’t listen to my corner.

“On Saturday, the plan will be, like always, to get off first and dictate the pace. The plan against Gilbert was not to make it a brawl but that is what happened,

“I feel I’ve learned from that fight so expect a different Josh Thomson on Saturday than the one you saw against Gilbert.

“This is going to be a tough fight against a tall guy. There are lots of big fights down the road for me but they will go away fast if I am not totally focused on Saturday.’’