Tag: quick quote

Bellator CEO Brjorn Rebney Close To Announcing TV Deal In Brazil

The world’s current number two mixed martial arts promotion, Bellator Fighting Championship, is set to begin Season Six this Friday night with Bellator 60. So much of the talent pool for this season comes from Brazil, it’s only natural then that Bellator should look at working out some sort of broadcast deal in the South […]

The world’s current number two mixed martial arts promotion, Bellator Fighting Championship, is set to begin Season Six this Friday night with Bellator 60.

So much of the talent pool for this season comes from Brazil, it’s only natural then that Bellator should look at working out some sort of broadcast deal in the South American country.

Speaking to MMAMania.com, that is exactly what Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney hopes to announce in the next few weeks.

Something that I see you get asked about a lot lately is Brazil. Bellator features a ton of great Brazilian talent. I think you’ve got several tournaments that are almost 50 percent Brazilian fighters coming up and you’ve got a whole bunch of Brazilian title challengers. You’ve mentioned how close you are to a TV deal, how important is it for you guys to break into Brazil?

Bjorn Rebney: Oh it’s huge, it’s absolutely huge. The proliferation of Brazilian talent underneath the Bellator banner speaks directly to who we are as an organization. Our reality is, it doesn’t matter where you’re from, it doesn’t matter what language you speak, all that matters is how well you fight when that cage door locks behind you. You hit it right on the head. Whether you’re talking about the Pitbull brothers or Doug Lima or Eduardo Dantas, the list just goes on and on of the wickedly deep talent pool that we’ve been able to cultivate in and through Brazil so the TV deal is major for us.

I anticipate the announcement, obviously I’m pretty close to it, I anticipate the announcement is literally gonna be in position to happen in the next, probably 10-12 days. It’s something that we’ve been working on with a huge diligence and focus with our partners and we’re super close. It’s incredibly important to this organization. That is a wildly explosive mixed martial arts market and it creates, per capita, many of the greatest fighters in the world so it’s a seminal, seminal territory for us to get in and keep a presence in developing talent out of.

Season Six features tournaments in five different weight classes, including the bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions.

Brazilians make up no less than twelve of the forty participants of the Season Six tournaments. That may not look like many at first but considering fighters come from all over the world such as the U.S., Britain, France, and Russia once you break the pool down by country you can see what sort of impact they have on the tournament.

In fact, the middleweight tournament itself features four Brazilians fighters of the eight who are set to compete for the $100,000 contract.

As well, Brazilian born fighter Douglas ‘The Phenom’ Lima and Eduardo Dantas are both to challenge for Bellator titles this season, as well heavyweight Thiago Santos is set to rematch Eric Prindle in their re-scheduled Season Five tournament final.

So it’s no wonder the Ultimate Fighting Championship has put so much focus on Brazil which includes the first international “TUF” series as well as their efforts to book a stadium event for the Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen rematch.

In the end, it’s nothing but good news for mma fans, fighters, as well as the Bellator promotion.

UFC Lightweight Rafael dos Anjos To Train With Dream Champ Shinya Aoki For Next Bout

Brazilian and Team Blackhouse fighter, Rafael dos Anjos (15-6) has his next Octagon appearance set for May 15, 2012 in Virginia where he is scheduled to face Kamal Shalorus at the UFC on FUEL TV 3 event. Shalorus is a noted wrestler who has also competed in several competitive grappling tournaments. For ‘The Prince of […]

Brazilian and Team Blackhouse fighter, Rafael dos Anjos (15-6) has his next Octagon appearance set for May 15, 2012 in Virginia where he is scheduled to face Kamal Shalorus at the UFC on FUEL TV 3 event.

Shalorus is a noted wrestler who has also competed in several competitive grappling tournaments.

For ‘The Prince of Persia’, Dos Anjos wants to round out his fight game training wrestling with UFC middleweight Mark Munoz, but the Brazilian wants to round out his “Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai” so he is headed to the Evolve MMA gym in Singapore to join fighters such as DREAM champion Shinya Aoki.

Dos Anjos spoke to Tatame.com about the upcoming trip.

“I’m training hard in Los Angeles where I do my prep. In two weeks I’ll go to Singapore and I’ll only be back in April. I like training there before my presentations because there’re good guys at Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai. Aoki is there and there’re wrestlers too. I had never had the opportunity to train with Aoki, this is my first time. He’s a top 10 in this division. It’s good to learn from his experiences. It’ll be nice”, said the Brazilian athlete, who will bring his coach Roberto Gordo to the United States.

“Coach Gordo shall get to the United States a month before the fight to help me on the game plan and the ground game. He’s essential in that way. I’ve been training Wrestling with Mark Munoz, who welcomed me here. I’m training really hard and I’ll focus on my ground game, but I’m comfortable to stand-up and with the takedowns. I’m also going to strike. And on the ground is best to be on top. I want to put on a good fight”.

Dos Anjos will enter the bout on a split decision loss to Gleison Tibau last November at UFC 139 and is 1-2 in his last three bouts. The Brazilian earned a quick knockout win over George Sotiropoulos in July of last year at UFC 132.

The Evolve MMA gym is Asia’s biggest academy for martial arts and is based out of Singapore with a training facility in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The gym is affiliated with the Renzo Gracie Academy and Sityodtong Muay Thai.

Dana White Says UFC Testing All New Fighters For Steroids But Won’t Challenge Fighters On Testosterone Replacement Therapy

A day after former light heavyweight champ Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson revealed that he’s been undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for the last month, UFC president Dana White weighed in on his promotions stance on the use of TRT as well as the use of steroids in general. Immediately the names Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt […]

A day after former light heavyweight champ Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson revealed that he’s been undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for the last month, UFC president Dana White weighed in on his promotions stance on the use of TRT as well as the use of steroids in general.

Immediately the names Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt spring to mind as both fighters were suffered severe consequences for their use of testosterone therapy. Sonnen received a six month suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission and was not awarded a license even after the suspension which would have allowed him to compete as a coach on “TUF 14″. While Marquardt was released from the UFC on weigh-in day for UFC on Versus 4 following tests which showed he had high levels of testosterone. Marquardt failed to acquire a Theraputic Use Exemption from the Pennsylvania commission and was subsequently suspended.

Since that time the UFC promotion has adopted a new policy where they test all new fighters who wish to sign with the promotion, testing for steroid use as well as other banned substances.

“If its legal, if you can do it and the athletic commission allows you to do it and you come in at the right levels, what kind of stance am I going to take on it?” he said when asked whether he has any issues with use of TRT by fighters.

“But what we are doing right now, and I don’t know if you know this, but out new policy is if you come in and you sign a new deal with us you get tested for everything. And if you test positive you are not going to get signed by the UFC.

“… The athletic commission regulates what these guys do and how they do it. What we do is when guys come in and sign new contracts we test these guys and we also test guys who come in to The Ultimate Fighter. Guys who come into The Ultimate Fighter, we test them before they even get on the show.

“… It does so much damage to a professional athlete, there is no way in hell we want guys coming and doing this stuff. The problem is, it happens. Its happening out there. What we want to try and do is stop this before it gets to a point where young guys get damaged that could have gone on and had great careers in the UFC.”

Check out the rest of White’s comments at FightersOnly.co.uk

Tim Boetsh Wants Dan Henderson Next, But Is Willing To Face Anyone In The Top Five Middleweight Division

Earning what has to be one of the greatest come backs in mixed martial arts history, UFC middleweight fighter Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch (15-4) is coming off a third round TKO win over Yushin Okami during last weekends UFC 144 event in Japan. After being manhandled for two rounds by Okami, Boetsch came out firing […]

Earning what has to be one of the greatest come backs in mixed martial arts history, UFC middleweight fighter Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch (15-4) is coming off a third round TKO win over Yushin Okami during last weekends UFC 144 event in Japan.

After being manhandled for two rounds by Okami, Boetsch came out firing after the bell, landing a head kick which spelled the beginning of the end for ‘Thunder’.

Now ‘The Barbarian’ has his eyes set on former Strikeforce champ, and current UFC light heavyweight contender, Dan Henderson. Well him or anyone in the top five of the UFC’s 185-lbs division.

Boetsch, who was a guest on Wednesday’s podcast of “The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo“, explains why he called out Henderson and who he wants instead if he can’t face the ‘H-Bomb’.

“I’ve been a huge Dan Henderson fan. He’s obviously a legend in the sport and people are wondering what the heck he’s doing next in the UFC. I just thought it’d be an interesting matchup, but I’m open to taking on any of the top five middleweights and climbing up the ladder. Whether it be a Michael Bisping or a Mark Munoz, I just want to fight the best guys in the world and continue to beat them up.”

Also featured on today’s episode were Strikeforce women’s bantamweight contender Ronda Rousey, UFC light heavyweight Nick Penner, UFC bantamweight Jeff Curran, and Spike TV’s David Schawarz.

‘Rampage’ Jackson Received Testosterone Therapy Before UFC 144 Bout

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson revealed to Fighters Only magazine in an interview after his UFC 144 loss to Ryan Bader, that he started testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)* about a month before the fight. Jackson saw an “age-management” doctor who prescribed TRT due to low testosterone levels. The former champ feels like […]

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson revealed to Fighters Only magazine in an interview after his UFC 144 loss to Ryan Bader, that he started testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)* about a month before the fight.

Jackson saw an “age-management” doctor who prescribed TRT due to low testosterone levels.

The former champ feels like a new man, saying he feels “25 years old again” lifting weights like he used to, as well as seeing a positive increase in his sex life.

One negative for Jackson, that he learned much to his dismay, was all of the weight he put on due to the use of testosterone therapy. At UFC 144, ‘Rampage’ came in six-pounds overweight for his light heavyweight bout versus Ryan Bader.

I almost pulled out but then I went to see the doctor and he told me to talk to an age-management doctor. So I went and talked to them and they tested me and said my testosterone was low; they prescribed me testosterone, to bring my testosterone levels back up to levels where I can be like… so that I am the same as young people, like when I was 25, and it would help build my knee up. I hurt my knee like a month ago and I only did three shots of testosterone but it put a lot of weight on me, a lot of muscle on me but it healed me knee up good enough to where I could fight.

… I started hitting it up pretty good, I still gotta take care of my knee but I feel like a 25 year old again. My sex life changed, I was back to five times a night like when I was 25, straight up. I got stronger, lifting weights. I was never good at lifting weights but I was doing everything, pull ups and stuff, everything with my top half. I gained a lot of weight but I gained a lot of water as well, I never knew about testosterone putting weight on you like that. I had to cut weight [for the fight] and I cut 22 pounds out of the 30 I needed to cut, I just couldn’t make the rest. I couldn’t make the rest.

Well to be honest with you I first learned about testosterone… I don’t know about health and drugs and stuff because I don’t really deal with it. I was never really big into it. So I was like ‘testosterone? No I’m not going to do that, that’s like steroids’ but then the doctor is like ‘no, steroids is stuff mixed with testosterone or other stuff, you can get steroids that do all types of things. Steroids for your cardio, for your muscles. Testosterone is all natural, its what your body produces.’

He was saying its like age management, it will turn back the clock and help heal you up. So I talked to my team and I really wanted to fight in Japan – coz you know I did all this stuff to fight in Japan and not in Chicago – and so I couldn’t give up and miss Japan. Everyone knows I love Japanese fans, they helped me become the fighter that I am, they gave me the energy and stuff. It was a hard decision but I was like ‘you know what, I am gonna do it. It will make me young and help me fight longer, which I want to.’

So I spoke to the UFC and they were like ‘yeah, a lot of fighters are probably doing it but not telling anyone.’ Me, I keep it real, I am not doing anything wrong. Its legal and I am not abusing it and I am not going over certain levels. From what I learned about it, when I got tested my levels my levels were really low and the doctor was telling me that athletes can burn testosterone.

Sure enough I did it like a week or two and, I couldn’t train but… that’s why I did this song about doggy style! My doggy style was buck wild man I’m telling you. I was like a young man, back to lifting weights and stuff, running treadmill and I could run and run. I could hit pads but I couldn’t spar or wrestle until I got to Japan, like eight days before the fight. In Japan I saw the change and so I decided I am not retiring no time soon, whether I fight for the UFC or not, I am gonna heal my knee up and get back on top. I feel young again. I’m happy I did the testosterone, I wish I had known about it sooner.

It looks like the former PRIDE and UFC champion has found a new lease on life. There was a lot of negative talk about Jackson possibly being done as competitive fighter after his loss to Bader. I’ll admit that I was one of them, but if testosterone therapy helps bring the old ‘Rampage’ back I’m all for it.

* I meant TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) when I wrote THT (Testosterone Hormone Therapy), getting it crossed with HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy).

Scott Smith Feels Great Returning To Middleweight, Looking To End Losing Skid Versus Sayers This Weekend

Some have called him ‘The Comeback Kid’ but most know him by the moniker ‘Hands of Steel’, Strikeforce fighter Scott Smith (17-9, 1NC) is set to return to the Strikeforce cage this Saturday moving back to the middleweight division after losing twice at welterweight. Smith meets Lumumba Sayers this weekend in Columbus, Ohio in the […]

Some have called him ‘The Comeback Kid’ but most know him by the moniker ‘Hands of Steel’, Strikeforce fighter Scott Smith (17-9, 1NC) is set to return to the Strikeforce cage this Saturday moving back to the middleweight division after losing twice at welterweight.

Smith meets Lumumba Sayers this weekend in Columbus, Ohio in the opening bout of the Showtime broadcast for Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey.

‘Hands of Steel’ is currently riding a three fight losing streak and is 1-4 in his last five. Competing as a welterweight in his last two bouts, Smith lost a unanimous decision to Tarec Saffiedine and a knockout loss to Paul Daley. He now returns to middleweight and can already feel a difference in energy levels and is looking for a fresh start versus Sayers this weekend.

“The Daley fight, I felt good, but I didn’t get an opportunity to see how it felt in the actual fight, so I wanted to try it again,” said Smith of his time at 170 pounds. “I felt terrible in the last fight. I was gassed in the second round and I kinda got energy in the third a little bit, but a week out from my previous fight, let’s say the Friday before weigh-ins, I didn’t want to train, I was tired, I just wanted to go hit the treadmill and sit in the steam room to cut a little weight.”

This weekend against Sayers, Smith returns to 185 pounds, and he already feels the difference.

“Right now, I’m a ball of energy,” he said. “I feel like I’ve had ten cups of coffee and I’m ready to go train ten times. So when I’ve got the energy level there, I’m able to go train hard.”

“…I can’t go out there and just be a counterpuncher; I gotta go out there with a gameplan, and that’s what I haven’t really done in my last couple fights. I have to go out there and set the pace and determine what’s gonna happen so I don’t get caught by one of his wild punches.”