Shane Carwin made his name during the era of giants in the UFC heavyweight division. Competing against Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar at the peak of his career, ‘The Engineer’ won the interim belt at UFC 111. It wasn’t until he faced Lesnar at UFC that Carwin tasted defeat. Having previously won all his fights
Shane Carwin made his name during the era of giants in the UFC heavyweight division. Competing against Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar at the peak of his career, ‘The Engineer’ won the interim belt at UFC 111. It wasn’t until he faced Lesnar at UFC that Carwin tasted defeat. Having previously won all his fights in the first round, Carwin would get submitted by the WWE crossover in the second frame. After that first loss Carwin would not compete for a year, and wasn’t the same fighter upon his return.
Facing a rampant Junior dos Santos in his last UFC fight, Carwin was bloodied and battered. ‘Cigano’ took the unanimous decision, and Carwin called it quits on his fighting career. Citing a nagging back injury, ‘The Engineer’ left his combat life behind him in 2011. Five years later Shane Carwin is back in the fight game, recently defeating Jason Ellis with one of his giant arms taped to his chest.
Rizin/Fedor
Taking to his Twitter account, Shane Carwin announced his legitimate MMA comeback by telling Rizin they need to send him bigger gloves.
Former Pride FC owner Sakakibara has worked hard to bring some of the JMMA originals back home this year. Both Mirko Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva are currently on the roster, and will face each other in their trilogy bout this coming December. The announcement from Carwin opens the door to a possible fight with MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko.
Although the relationship between Fedor and Rizin got a little rocky when ‘The Last Emperor’ joined Euro Fight Nights, Rizin has reportedly offered Emelianenko $2 Million to fight on New Years Eve. Spreading around the Reddit forums is a rumour that Shane Carwin has already used his gigantic XXXXL hands to sign a contract for the Fedor fight. Watch this space!
Here’s Carwin pictured with Rizin Senior VP Jerry Millen:
Former Pride open weight champion Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s MMA return has been made official. After an admittance of using human growth hormone (HGH) last year caused an unceremonious early retirement, Cro Cop will return to action against Hyun Man Myung (3-2) in the opening round of RIZIN Fighting Federation’s World Grand Prix 2016 according
Former Pride open weight champion Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s MMA return has been made official.
After an admittance of using human growth hormone (HGH) last year caused an unceremonious early retirement, Cro Cop will return to action against Hyun Man Myung (3-2) in the opening round of RIZIN Fighting Federation’s World Grand Prix 2016 according to a report from MMA Fighting. The event will kick off on September 25, 2016, from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
The bout will be Filipovic’s first since his comeback win over Gabriel Gonzaga in 2014, a fight where he got some sort of revenge for the iconic headkick from “Napao” that stopped Filipovic’s perceived run to a UFC title shot.
Former Pride star and UFC veteran Wanderlei Silva is also slated to fight in the second round of the RIZIN Grand Prix, which will feature “The Axe Murderer” against a yet-to-be-named opponent, whom many have speculated will be longtime Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. Fedor made his comeback for RIZIN in their debut show, trouncing grossly overmatched Jaideep Singh by TKO before moving onto to a highly controversial decision win over former UFC light heavyweight Fabio Maldonado in Russian promotion EFN.
Rizin is set to make a big return with a 16-man heavyweight Grand Prix tournament, that kicks off on September 25th from Saitama, Japan at the Saitama Super Arena. Pride legends Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop will be competing as well, however, the pair will be given first round byes and will instead make
Rizin is set to make a big return with a 16-man heavyweight Grand Prix tournament, that kicks off on September 25th from Saitama, Japan at the Saitama Super Arena.
Pride legends Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop will be competing as well, however, the pair will be given first round byes and will instead make their tournament debuts at the December 29th quarterfinals.
Silva (35-12-1) last saw action inside a cage when he took on Brian Stann at UFC on Fuel TV 8, knocking out Stann in the second round of their contest in 2013.
Following the contest Silva was embroiled in a feud with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) after refusing to undergo a random drug test. NSAC handed Silva a lifetime ban, however, it was later reduced to three years and is set to expire in May.
Silva signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA in March and will be eligible to begin competing for the organization when his NSAC suspension is lifted on May 25, 2017.
Cro Cop (31-11-2(1)) was previously scheduled to face Anthony Hamilton at UFC Fight Night 79 last November, but pulled out after admitting to the use of human growth hormones to help his injured shoulder. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) would later announce a two-year suspension for Cro Cop amongst his retirement.
In a recent press conference in Tokyo to promote the upcoming Rizin heavyweight tournament,courtesy of MMA Fighting, the Croatian had this to say:
“I was chasing Pokemon’s and somehow ended up in Japan,” said Cro Cop. “I kept chasing them and bumped into Sakakibara-san in Roppongi. He bought me a suit and shoes, and that is why I sit here right now.”
The Rizin Heavyweight Tournament will air live on the Fuji Network from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, beginning on September 25, 2016.
Nobiyuki Sakakibara is a pioneer in the Japanese MMA promotion, and knows a thing or two about who would succeed in the overseas market. The former Pride FC founder and current Rizin FC owner recently mentioned current MMA mega-stars Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, as competitors who would flourish in today’s Japanese MMA scene. “He
Nobiyuki Sakakibara is a pioneer in the Japanese MMA promotion, and knows a thing or two about who would succeed in the overseas market.
The former Pride FC founder and current Rizin FC owner recently mentioned current MMA mega-stars Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, as competitors who would flourish in today’s Japanese MMA scene.
“He would do fantastic,” Sakakibara said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “The fans would go crazy over him.”
“Their style, Conor and Ronda, given the weight class and divisions of who they are, being able to make such a huge success financially, that has changed history within the fight game,” he said.
Since the legendary Pride days the Japanese MMA market has been in a bit of a funk, however, Sakakibara is looking to change that with the launching of his new Rizin FC promotion.
Rizin just finished up it’s first event this past April in Nagoya, and also held a two-day event prior to that towards the end of last December that featured fighters such as ‘King Mo’, Wanderlei Silva, and the return of Fedor Emelianenko.
While Rizin’s next event has yet to be announced, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor is currently awaiting the announcement of his next bout, which is expected to be a rematch against Nate Diaz.
No news of the return of Ronda Rousey, on the other hand, has been made after the former women’s bantamweight queen had her hopes of an undefeated career head kicked away by Holly Holm back at UFC 193 in Melbourne.
So how would the two stars fair in the Japanese market, and do you agree with Sakakibara’s comments?
After signing a contract with Bellator MMA, Wanderlei Silva has another fighting home, agreeing to a deal with RIZIN FF.
The promotion announced Monday that they have signed Silva to a multi-year promotional contract. He is set to compete in a “grappling tag match” on April 17 at RIZIN FF 2.
Silva, a former PRIDE middleweight and 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix champion, will team up with a yet-to-be-announced fighter against Kazushi Sakuraba and Hideo Tokoro.
Moving forward, Silva will move into MMA fights for the promotion. In regards to his fighting status in North America, “The Axe Murderer” remains suspended until next year.
Below is the complete press release:
RIZIN FF, the combat sports promotion led by former PRIDE FC head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, announced during a press conference, the signing of all-time Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) great Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC) to a multi-year promotional contract, as well as the first two bouts, one of which will feature Silva, for its second live event that will take place at the 10,000 capacity Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday, April 17.
Priced from 100,000 yen, tickets for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” are on sale and can be purchased online at TicketBis.com.
Silva, the former PRIDE middleweight champion and 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix middleweight champion, will team up with a fighter to be determined, in a special grappling “tag match,” the rules for which will be announced soon, and battle a duo consisting of another legend, Kazushi Sakuraba, (26-17-1, 2 NC) and Hideo Tokoro (33-28-2).
Following the April contest, Silva, who held several records under the PRIDE banner, including longest win streak and most KO’s, will compete under MMA rules in future RIZIN FF events.
In a 180 pound MMA rules contest, devastating power puncher Hisaki Kato (5-2) will take on fellow prolific finisher Yuta “Andre” Watanabe (19-6-4).
A former HEAT middleweight title holder, the 33-year-old Kato made an explosive debut before a live U.S. television audience on Spike when he scored what was later named “Knockout of the Month” – a crushing, second round (:34) KO (punch) on American star Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling at Bellator 139 on June 26, 2015.
To date, all of Kato’s professional victories have come by way of (T)KO.
Watanabe is a 31-year-old grappling ace who boasts a splendid 84 percent finish rate, with 11 of his 19 career wins to date having come by way of submission and another 6 victories having come by way of (T)KO.
The number 10 ranked welterweight in Japan, Watanabe will make his first appearance of 2016 and look to rebound from a first round (2:00) submission (rear-naked choke) defeat at the hands of Keita Nakamura on July 20, 2015, a loss that halted a seven-fight win streak for Watanabe.
In two different women’s bouts, Rena Kubota (1-0 MMA, 31-5-1 shoot boxing) will square off an opponent to be named under shoot boxing rules, while decorated wrestler Kanako Murata (0-0) will make her highly-anticipated MMA debut against an opponent to be announced soon.
The 24-year-old Kubota is a three-time shoot boxing tournament champion who made her much-anticipated MMA debut in stunning fashion at the RIZIN FF New Year’s Eve extravaganza, where she notched a second round (3:31) submission victory over Jleana Valentino with a flying armbar.
The 22-year-old Murata’s impressive resume includes three junior Olympic medals. Her most impressive feat, however, came in 2011 when Murata nearly defeated four-time Olympic gold medalist Saori Yoshida during the All-Japan championships.
Additional bouts for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” will be announced soon.
After signing a contract with Bellator MMA, Wanderlei Silva has another fighting home, agreeing to a deal with RIZIN FF.
The promotion announced Monday that they have signed Silva to a multi-year promotional contract. He is set to compete in a “grappling tag match” on April 17 at RIZIN FF 2.
Silva, a former PRIDE middleweight and 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix champion, will team up with a yet-to-be-announced fighter against Kazushi Sakuraba and Hideo Tokoro.
Moving forward, Silva will move into MMA fights for the promotion. In regards to his fighting status in North America, “The Axe Murderer” remains suspended until next year.
Below is the complete press release:
RIZIN FF, the combat sports promotion led by former PRIDE FC head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, announced during a press conference, the signing of all-time Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) great Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC) to a multi-year promotional contract, as well as the first two bouts, one of which will feature Silva, for its second live event that will take place at the 10,000 capacity Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday, April 17.
Priced from 100,000 yen, tickets for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” are on sale and can be purchased online at TicketBis.com.
Silva, the former PRIDE middleweight champion and 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix middleweight champion, will team up with a fighter to be determined, in a special grappling “tag match,” the rules for which will be announced soon, and battle a duo consisting of another legend, Kazushi Sakuraba, (26-17-1, 2 NC) and Hideo Tokoro (33-28-2).
Following the April contest, Silva, who held several records under the PRIDE banner, including longest win streak and most KO’s, will compete under MMA rules in future RIZIN FF events.
In a 180 pound MMA rules contest, devastating power puncher Hisaki Kato (5-2) will take on fellow prolific finisher Yuta “Andre” Watanabe (19-6-4).
A former HEAT middleweight title holder, the 33-year-old Kato made an explosive debut before a live U.S. television audience on Spike when he scored what was later named “Knockout of the Month” – a crushing, second round (:34) KO (punch) on American star Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling at Bellator 139 on June 26, 2015.
To date, all of Kato’s professional victories have come by way of (T)KO.
Watanabe is a 31-year-old grappling ace who boasts a splendid 84 percent finish rate, with 11 of his 19 career wins to date having come by way of submission and another 6 victories having come by way of (T)KO.
The number 10 ranked welterweight in Japan, Watanabe will make his first appearance of 2016 and look to rebound from a first round (2:00) submission (rear-naked choke) defeat at the hands of Keita Nakamura on July 20, 2015, a loss that halted a seven-fight win streak for Watanabe.
In two different women’s bouts, Rena Kubota (1-0 MMA, 31-5-1 shoot boxing) will square off an opponent to be named under shoot boxing rules, while decorated wrestler Kanako Murata (0-0) will make her highly-anticipated MMA debut against an opponent to be announced soon.
The 24-year-old Kubota is a three-time shoot boxing tournament champion who made her much-anticipated MMA debut in stunning fashion at the RIZIN FF New Year’s Eve extravaganza, where she notched a second round (3:31) submission victory over Jleana Valentino with a flying armbar.
The 22-year-old Murata’s impressive resume includes three junior Olympic medals. Her most impressive feat, however, came in 2011 when Murata nearly defeated four-time Olympic gold medalist Saori Yoshida during the All-Japan championships.
Additional bouts for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” will be announced soon.
(You see, Dana? All you had to do was occassionally buy the man a cake and EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE BETWEEN YOU TO.)
The past few years have been a roller coaster of emotions for Wanderlei Silva, to put it simply. In his last octagon appearance, the former PRIDE middleweight champion engaged in an all out barnburner with Brian Stann at UFC on FUEL 8, dusting the Marine with a hellacious combination in the third round of their “Fight of the Year” contender. Then…he got booked opposite Chael Sonnen as a coach on the third season of TUF Brazil and everythingwenttosh*t.
Things began to pick up for Silva back in May, more or less, when a Nevada District Judge reversed the lifetime ban the NSAC had slapped him with for skipping out on his UFC 175 drug test. Last month, Wanderlei (or at least, his lawyer) was given a second hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, resulting in the ban being reduced to three years retroactive to the time of his infraction.
Now a (relatively) free man who also happened to be released from his UFC contract contract in January, there was really only one career option left for “The Axe Murderer” to make up for lost time: Immediately un-retiring and signing with Bellator.
(You see, Dana? All you had to do was occassionally buy the man a cake and EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE BETWEEN YOU TO.)
The past few years have been a roller coaster of emotions for Wanderlei Silva, to put it simply. In his last octagon appearance, the former PRIDE middleweight champion engaged in an all out barnburner with Brian Stann at UFC on FUEL 8, dusting the Marine with a hellacious combination in the third round of their ”Fight of the Year” contender. Then…he got booked opposite Chael Sonnen as a coach on the third season of TUF Brazil and everythingwenttosh*t.
Things began to pick up for Silva back in May, more or less, when a Nevada District Judge reversed the lifetime ban the NSAC had slapped him with for skipping out on his UFC 175 drug test. Last month, Wanderlei (or at least, his lawyer) was given a second hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, resulting in the ban being reduced to three years retroactive to the time of his infraction.
Now a (relatively) free man who also happened to be released from his UFC contract contract in January, there was really only one career option left for “The Axe Murderer” to make up for lost time: Immediately un-retiring and signing with Bellator. And according to a press release sent out by Bellator this morning (via MMAJunkie), that’s precisely what Silva did:
The 39-year-old Silva (35-12-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC), the promotion today announced, has signed an exclusive multi-fight, multi-year deal. The signing appeared to be an inevitability after Bellator President Scott Coker said recently that the promotion was having serious talks with the former UFC standout and PRIDE champion about coming out of retirement.
It is not yet known what weight class Silva will be competing at, but if we were to hazard a guess based on this image, we’d have to say “DadBodweight” (or maybe Franklinweight). He’ll fit right in at Bellator, that’s for sure.
Now, an interesting caveat in Wanderlei’s ban, according to the ever-trustworthy folks at Wikipedia, is that it won’t prevent him from ”competing at Indian Casinos or in Japan,” so even though he isn’t technically allowed to compete until May 25th, 2017, we could very well see him step into the cage before that date. He is nearing 40, after all, and upstart Japanese promotion Rizin has expressed interest in potentially booking him against Fedor Emelianenko in the near future, which falls into definitive “would watch” category of fights for the vast majority of MMA fans.
In any case, “The Axe Murderer” is back. Someone tell Lenne Hardt to start warming up those legendary pipes.
