This is the latest collection of articles and news from MMAMadness.com Copyright 2008 MMAMadness.com http://mmamadness.com/insight.html The WEC shut down two weight divisions in 2008, but as 2009 starts to ramp up, the promotion has plans to add a 125-pound flyweight category... http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2961 UFC President Dana White mentioned to FightersOnly magazine, that the highly anticipated UFC heavyweight unification bout between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir could happen as early as April, possibly at UFC 97. "Mir took little damage in his fight with Nog, and Lesnar wants to fight him soon, so April may be the time and [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2960 The Rua family has already contributed two fighters in Mauricio ''Shogun'' Rua and Murilo ''Ninja'' Rua to the sport of mixed martial arts but a third Rua is now set to make his pro debut within the next several months. The Brazilian MMA website Tatame is reporting that Marcos ''Baby'' Rua will be entering the profession [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2959 Click for Video http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2958 Just when you thought it was safe to pull one over on the California State Athletic Commission, word comes down that Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva is getting slapped harder than Badr Hari after the K-1 GP Finals. According to Dave Meltzer of Yahoo!Sports, the CSAC has not taken kindly to Silva's blatant disregard for the steroid-related suspension he received this past summer, and as punishment are now looking to revoke Silva's fighter license. The commission is even going an unprecedented step further, fining Silva's manager (Alex Davis of American Top Team) $2,500 just for negotiating the Sengoku bout which Silva won only two days ago. So how bad would a revoking of Silva's license really be you ask? This bad: "A license revocation would mean Silva, and his corner men, would be banned from fighting in all U.S. commission states until California granted him a new license, which would be no less than one year from the date of it being revoked. Such an action would force whatever form EliteXC that potentially resurfaces this year to strip Silva of the title." http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2957 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today confirmed several bouts for its SpikeTV telecast scheduled for February 7 at the University of Southern Florida (USF) Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. Fight Night 17: ''Lauzon vs. Franca�� features the lightweight showdown between former 155-pound contender Hermes Franca versus Ultimate Fighter 5 alum and BJ Penn pupil Joe Lauzon, as [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2956 A pivotal lightweight match-up has been added to the UFC 96 card in Columbus, Ohio, as Gray Maynard and Jim Miller will clash in a fight that could determine a top contender in the ever-growing 155-pound weight class... http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2955 Barring any last-minute glitches, fast-rising welterweight prospect Dustin Hazelett will lock horns with unbeaten Ben Saunders at UFC 96 on March 7 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Bout agreements have been issued and are expected to be signed http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2954 Former UFC middleweight contender David Loiseau will return to the Octagon on April 18 when he faces The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 finalist Ed Herman at UFC 97 from The Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada according to Cageplay.com. "Short Fuse" is hoping to not only spoil Loiseau's homecoming, but to also snap a two-fight [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2953 It appears that UFC welterweight title contender Josh Koscheck has been added to the card for UFC 95, which is set for February 21 at the O2 Arena in London, England. According to a report by the Brazilian MMA website Tatame, Koscheck is set to face the debuting Paulo Thiago in one of the show's featured [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2952 For all intents and purposes, EliteXC stopped functioning as a mixed martial arts company shortly after Seth Petruzelli knocked out Kimbo Slice. That event occurred close to three months ago. Since then, many of their fighters have remained out of action. UFC President Dana White hopes that other top fighters not in the UFC pay close [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2951 What is the formula that creates a true icon? Like mythical Greek gods, some appear as if they were born to inherit the crown. Other athletes lived each chapter of a Cinderella story: going from nothing to everything within the span of a career. Regardless of where they started, the end result was sheer domination of the competition: greatness in their era. http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2947 "I'm the real deal and I'm ready for Condit. I'm ready for it, so it's just a matter of getting (Condit) to agree, but (the WEC) definitely wants it to happen. It's up to Condit's camp to figure out what it wants. I'd like to fight as often as possible, but the way it's looking, [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2949 As FiveOuncesOfPain.com wrote last month, the middleweight battle between Yushin Okami and Dean Lister during UFC 92 had all the hallmarks of a "loser leaves the UFC match." That was indeed the case as word is now spreading that former Abu Dhabi champion has received his release from the promotion. However, according to a report by [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2948 Click for Video http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2950 The "Iceman" wants to "round out his skills" http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2945 Below are "quick results" of Sengoku's "Seventh Battle" event from January 4 in Saitama, Japan at the Saitama Super Arena. Hidetada Irie defeats Minoru Kato via TKO (punches) at 4:21 of round 2 Maximo Blanco defeats Seigo Inoue via knockout (stomps) at 0:38 of round 1 Mu Bae Choi defeats Dave Herman via TKO (punches) at 2:22 of [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2944 An alumnus from the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter, Matt Riddle had been scheduled to make his welterweight debut in a UFC 91 matchup this past November against Ryan Thomas. However, a serious knee injury sustained while training forced Riddle off the card and created an opening for fellow TUF 7 veteran Matt Brown. Riddle [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2943 Fresh off his stunning high kick knockout victory over Kevin Burns during the live finale for the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Anthony Johnson is set to return to the Octagon on February 7 during UFC Fight Night 17 against Luigi Fioravanti. FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the news from Johnson's agent, Ken Pavia, early Saturday afternoon [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2942 UFC President Dana White stated in December during a public Q&A session prior to "UFC Fight for the Troops" that the promotion was planning on holding an event in Tennessee sometime in 2009. FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that the UFC will be making its Tennessee debut in Nashville on April 1 when it presents UFC Fight Night [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2941 Strikeforce heavyweight champion and DREAM standout Alistar Overeem has revealed his representatives have been engaged in possible contract talks with both the UFC and Affliction. Overeem, who is coming off a first round knockout over former K-1 heavyweight champion Badr Hari during a K-1 rules match at FEG's "Dynamite!!" on New Year's Eve, made the revelation [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2940 Season three middleweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Kendall Grove (9-5), will return to action after a nine-month layoff to challenge Jason Day (17-7) at UFC 96, which is scheduled for the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 7, according to a recent 411Mania.com report. "Da Spyda" has been out on the sidelines since [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2939 Former WWE pro wrestler Bobby Lashley and Cuban judo import Hector Lombard have been signed to compete on a mixed boxing and Palace Fighting Championship card on Feb. 6 http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2938 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is not the only show in town this month http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2937 World Extreme Cagefighting has updated the fight card for its WEC 38 event scheduled for Jan. 25 in San Diego, Calif. ... http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2936 Former Strikeforce lightweight title holder Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez vows to return to form in 2009, possibly starting with a rematch against Mitsuhiro Ishida... http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2935 Despite having become the lightweight winner of the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Efrain Escudero already has finalized plans to jump back into the UFC's Octagon. Sources have revealed exclusively to FiveOuncesOfPain.com that Escudero, 11-0, has signed on to face Jeremy Stephens at an upcoming UFC event. It's believed that the fight will take place [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2934 Updated Card For January 22nds PFC 12 In Lemoore, CA http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2933 In Part I of FiveOuncesOfPain.com's exclusive interview with M-1 Global President and manager for Fedor Emelianenko, Vadim Finkelchtein, discussed in detail some of the specific negotiation points that came up during contract negotiations between the UFC and Fedor. In Part II, Finkelchtein addresses questions about whether Fedor's current contract with Affliction and M-1 would prevent him [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2932 The card will feature a main event of Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2931 World Victory Road has finalized its fight card for their upcoming Sengoku 'Rebellion 2009' event taking place January 4 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The newly established Sengoku Middleweight Championship will be up for grabs. Jorge Santiago, winner of the Sengoku Middleweight Tournament last year will get his shot at gold against Kazuo [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2930 You’ve got to hand it to the Japanese. They always do things their own way. When it comes to New Year’s Eve, there isn’t a bigger fight night for those who reside in “the land of the rising sun.” So.....why all the hate? http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2929 The jab has been the cornerstone punch in boxing since its inception. This single strike can set the tempo for the most important bouts within the squared cirlce, but what do MMA's elite think about its role in mixed martial arts? http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2919 Click for Video http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2928 Mickey Dubberly, CEO of KO Dynasty Sports Management – a representative of Josh Neer's – on Thursday released a statement to MMAWeekly.com addressing Neer's early morning arrest... http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2927 TOKYO -- Japanese submission expert Shinya Aoki made quick work of Eddie Alvarez on Wednesday in the co-main event of FEG's ''Dynamite 2008.'' After the impressive showing, Aoki explained that the quickness of his victory was mostly due http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2926 FiveOuncesOfPain.com contacted M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchtein earlier this week in attempt to get his response to comments made by UFC President Dana White during a Monday night interview with "The Carmichael Dave Show" on KHTK radio in Sacramento. Finkelchtein granted FiveOuncesOfPain.com's interview request on New Year's Day and conducted nearly an hour long interview via [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2925 New UFC fighter, Pat Barry, spoke very candidly with MMAWeekly Radio recently about what it meant to get his first victory in the Octagon and a moment he was able to share with his family after the fight... http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2924 UFC lightweight Josh Neer spent the first hours of the new year in a jail cell, after he was arrested for a hit-and-run incident and high-speed chase early Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa. Neer, 25, faces charges of Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated, hit-and-run http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2923 The Nevada State Athletic Commission has released official attendance and gate figures for this past Saturday's UFC 92 event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. And while the figures do not contradict the total attendance of 14,166 fans and gate figure of $3,468,440 offered by UFC President Dana White to the media [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2922 Like most 40-something professional athletes, Mark Coleman hears the question often. How and when does he envision the curtain closing on his career? ''That question does present itself all the time to me,'' he says. ''I guess it's a question that any athlete http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2921 The two DREAM Grand Prix tournaments in 2009 will be in the featherweight and welterweight divisions. No date has been set yet for the next DREAM event but DREAM event producer Keiichi Sasahara said at the "Dynamite!! 2008" post-fight conference that the DREAM featherweight tournament will begin in March. They are planning at least six events for the year. In addition to the tournaments, DREAM will also plan to crown a light heavyweight champion. read more http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2920 Click for Video http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2918 Shinya Aoki became the first ever WAMMA lightweight champ at "Dynamite!! 2008" on New Year's Eve in Saitama, Japan. Aoki (19-3) pulled the upset over Eddie Alvarez with a first-round heel hook submission in a fight between the two DREAM Lightweight Finalists if the scenario was that fighters didn't have to compete more than once in one night. Alvarez's record falls to 15-2 and ends his year with a loss which will likely cost him any chance at the Fighter of the Year honor. http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2917 An anticipated non-title rematch between Joachim Hansen and Gesias Cavalcante has been scratched from Wednesday's co-promoted K-1 and Dream extravaganza http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2916 After Quinton Jackson defeated Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92, Dana White said that Jackson would most likely be first in line to challenge new champion Rashad Evans. However, if Jackson had it his way, his next fight would not be for the title. "I want to fight Forrest (Griffin) because that's the fight that haunts me," [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2915 K-1's Field Dynamite 2008 is set to take place at 7 PM (Tokyo) on New Years Eve. That 5 AM EST On NYE here in the United States. No Media will be hosting the event, but may fans have found KeyHoleTV to broadcast the event over the Internet for free. Stay tune to CageToday.com for [...] http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2914 World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) recently announced the full lineup of action for its initial show of 2009. WEC 38 is set to take place from the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, Calif., on Sunday, January 25, airing live at 9:30 p.m. ET on the Versus network. http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2913 A bitter Mike Whitehead rants after his training partner Wanderlei Silva gets knocked out by fellow TUF 2 roommate Rashad Evans. Or could it just be Mike Whitehead is just still mad at Rashad Evans for eliminating him on The Ultimate Fighter season 2. http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2912 Troy "Rude Boy" Mandaloniz and Paul Kelly have agreed to fight at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 in London... http://mmamadness.com/insight/news/2911