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Seems like the stigma surrounding mixed martial arts continues in New York, and despite the strong lobbying efforts from both the UFC and independent MMA organizations, it will be some time before The Big Apple sees a mixed martial arts event. The New York Daily News is reporting that Assembly Democrats have stripped approval for MMA from an upcoming budget bill:

The push to legalize ultimate fighting in New York is on the ropes. Assembly Democrats stripped approval for the wildly popular violent sport from a budget bill that lawmakers will take up as soon as today. Gov. Paterson sought to legalize mixed martial arts, saying fights could pull in more than $2 million in tax revenue for the cash-strapped state. “The majority of voices who spoke about this issue in our conference were not supportive of approving it as part of the budget,” said Assemblyman Steven Englebright (D-L.I.), a fight fan. Englebright said it’s a long shot the Assembly will revisit the issue.

Dana White and the UFC have been doing a great job cleaning up the “reputation” of mixed martial arts, and it’s only a matter of time before it’s recognized as a legitimate sport but it seems like old-timers and ultra conservatives are running things in New York and so we wait for approval. For now.

Great interview by Sherdog with Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker as he discusses Cyborg, Fedor Shields and more. Hard to know whether Coker believes that his flag-ship fighter losing is a good thing or a bad one, and arguments could be made both ways. On the one hand the invincibility of Fedor certainly has a huge following of mixed martial arts fans who may not tune in now that he’s lost, but on the other both the way Fedor handled the loss and the drama created by a rematch may actually stir more interest in the Russian fighter. We’ll wait for the official word on a rematch, but Strikeforce would have to be crazy not to have another tilt between the two.

Fabricio Werdum pulled off a huge upset last Saturday at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum and many MMA fans are immediately expecting a rematch between the two. Werdum also seems like he would like a re-match but he’s also mentioned the possibility of a superfight with Brock Lesnar in a recent article from Tatame:

“I won today, but Fedor is the best. I’d like to fight against him again”. On his win speech, which has been rehearsal one day before the fight, Wedum included a super fight against Brock Lesnar, heavyweight champion of UFC.

The odds of a co-promotion with UFC seems to be highly unlikely but there’s always the chance that after his contract expires, especially if he continues to win, that Dana White would be very interested in Werdum.

Click here to view the embedded video.

World’s number 1 heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko has amassed quite a high lights reel and it’s in full force in this video. Fedor takes on Jiu-jitsu wizard Fabricio Werdum this Saturday as the main event bout for Strikeforce Promotions showtime aired card. The card will also feature a rematch between Cung Le and Scott Smith and will air at 10 eastern and pacific.

Los Angeles, Calif (USA), June 25, 2010….. HeadBlade® announced today that UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin inked a deal with the Culver City-based men’s grooming company specializing in headcare and head-shaving products worldwide.

Carwin holds an impressive 12-0 record in the UFC, many of which ended by knockout. His most recent KO against Frank Mir in UFC 111 landed him the pay-per-view bout against Brock Lesnar on July 3rd at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, billed as “The Biggest Heavyweight Fight Ever.” While Lesnar still holds the Heavyweight Championship belt, Carwin earned the title of Interim Heavyweight Champion after Lesnar pulled out of UFC due to illness in 2009. Up until this point, Carwin has always stepped into the Octagon with hair on his head.

“I am honored to be working with HeadBlade®. I have recently started shaving my head (mother nature was doing it for me) and I love it,” Carwin said. “Using the HeadBlade® Sport razor gives me a cleaner and faster shave than any other grooming device. For a guy who is raising a family, and being the UFC Interim Champion, time is everything. HeadBlade® is the ultimate razor, and the only one good enough for me.”
Todd Greene, the owner and inventor of HeadBlade®, saw an incredible opportunity to sponsor Carwin. “We’ve been huge fans of MMA (mixed martial-arts) since starting the company in 1999,” Greene said. “Shane is an undeniable force in the UFC, and when we heard he started shaving his head, there was no hesitation. He’s both a powerful fighter, and a genuine class act – the type of guy we had to have on our team.”
HeadBlade® has a long history of partnering with athletes and celebrities that embody the lifestyle of the brand, including NBA star Al Harrington, Olympian Zach Lund, comedian Howie Mandel, and over 40 fighters such as Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Keith Jardine.
Watch freshly-shaved Carwin brawl with Lesnar on pay-per-view Saturday July 3rd in Las Vegas for UFC 116. Carwin fans can also have exclusive chances to win prizes leading up to the fight through HeadBlade® and Carwin’s communities.
(photo via HeadBlade.com