Official MMA Thread

[NCRadioMan]

Strikeforce signs K-1 star and MMA veteran Melvin Manhoef

K-1 wrecking machine and mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran, Melvin Manhoef (23-6-1), is once again set to put his all-around skills to the test when he debuts with the San Jose-based Strikeforce promotion in the coming weeks.

MMAmania.com confirmed the signing earlier today.

While a Dec. 19 bout with Robbie Lawler is under consideration for "Evolution," nothing is official at this time and a more likely time line for his debut would be early 2010.

Manhoef looked "Marvelous" in the opening round of his DREAM 10 fight against Paulo Filho, putting the Brazilian grappling stud on queer street with his trademark barrage blitzkrieg of punches; however, Manhoef ultimately fell short after the fight hit the mat.

He's going to need to keep his ground game sharp if he plans to compete exclusively in mixed martial arts. There are a bevy of top middleweights under the Strikeforce banner with serviceable grappling skills that could negate the power punching of the hard-hitting Hollander.

Assuming he doesn't separate them from the consciousness first.

Star-divide

Prior to the Filho bout, Manhoef went toe-to-toe with "Super Samoan" Mark Hunt during the stacked New Year’s Eve Fields Dynamite!! card at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Dec. 31, 2008. Despite being at a huge size advantage, as well as taking the fight on literally a few days notice, Manhoef needed just 18 seconds to dispatch of the granite-chinned heavyweight.

Aside from being the Cage Rage light heavyweight champion, "No Mercy" has a 37-8 kickboxing record with 27 knockouts. Expect fireworks in his upcoming debut.

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Strikeforce signs KJ Noons

K.J. Noons has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce, Sherdog.com has learned from sources familiar with the negotiations.

The former EliteXC champion could make his lightweight debut for the promotion at Strikeforce “Evolution” on Dec. 19 in San Jose, Calif., although Noons’ return is likely for Strikeforce’s Jan. 30 event in Sunrise, Fla.

Noons was stripped of his EliteXC 160-pound title in September 2008 during a contract dispute. EliteXC and parent company Pro Elite closed its doors shortly afterward and the Hawaiian-born fighter delved back into professional boxing, going 4-1 in the last year. Noons earned a six-round decision over Julio Perez on Nov. 10 in Houston.

The 26-year-old kickboxer has keys MMA victories over former UFC contender Yves Edwards and Nick Diaz, who also remains in Strikeforce’s 170- and 185-pound ranks. Noons bested the mouthy Stockton, Calif. native with a second-round TKO on cuts in September 2007. Words between the fighters and their families ensued in the cage, but a rematch never materialized.

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Lawler vs Prangley at SF Evolution

American Kickboxing Academy standout Trevor Prangley is expected to face Robbie Lawler at Strikeforce: Evolution on Dec. 19 in San Jose, Calif.

Multiple MMAWeekly.com sources indicated the bout was all but signed. One source said Prangley, 37, is awaiting a bout agreement and is expected to sign as soon as Monday afternoon.

Lawler was rumored to face Melvin Manhoef, a bout long campaigned for by Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, but Manhoef is committed to fight on the Dream vs. Sengoku New Year’s Eve event against an opponent yet to be announced.

Strikeforce: Evolution is slated for the HP Pavilion and will be broadcast live on Showtime. Other featured bouts include a title unification bout between champion Josh Thomson and interim titleholder Gilbert Melendez, and a middleweight slugfest pitting former champ Cung Le against Scott Smith.

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Official: Keith Jardine vs Ryan Bader - UFC 110

Earlier tonight Ryan Bader sent out an ominous tweet stating that he signed a bout agreement and it would, "definitely [be] a step up in competition!"

So who is Ryan Bader fighting? Why, it is Keith Jardine, at least according to MMA Weekly.

The report also states that Bader vs. Jardine will take place at UFC 110 in Sydney, Australia.

The undefeated Ryan Bader (10-0) was correct when he described this as a step up in competition. Jardine has victories over Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Brandon Vera, all of which are far more impressive than Bader's wins over Eric Schafer, Carmelo Marrero and Vinny Magalhaes. Yet, this fight is still an absolute must win for Keith Jardine (15-6-1) who is coming off of back-to-back losses and is 1-3 in his past four fights and 2-4 in his past six.

At a glance, UFC 110 appears to be a fairly deep fight card, which is somewhat counter intuitive for what the UFC usually does for an overseas card. However UFC 110 will be a pay-per view event so it makes sense for Zuffa to load up on name fighters.

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Amir Sadollah vs. Brad Blackburn announced for UFN 20

A welterweight bout between TUF 7 winner Amir Sadollah and Brad Blackburn is in the works for UFC Fight Night 20 on Jan. 11 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. News of the bout was first reported by The Newark Examiner.

The UFC Fight Night 20 main card had just three bouts rather than the traditional four but with the addition of Sadollah vs. Blackburn, the fourth spot is now filled for the televised portion of the card.

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UFC in Boston now a reality with MMA regulation in Mass

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick today signed a bill into law that regulates mixed martial arts in the "Bay State," paving the way for the sport's top brand, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and other promotions to host events in 2010 and beyond.

UFC President Dana White, a Boston-area native, has gushed for years about the possibility of promoting a show in "Beantown." In fact, during the UFC 101 post-fight press conference he revealed his grand plans to stage a major event in the historic and beloved Fenway Park in mid to late 2010.

UFC officials stormed Massachusetts earlier this year, attempting to convince lawmakers that MMA regulation is good for them and the state economy … to the tune of $12.3 million in just one weekend.

The dog and pony show was apparently very effective -- the bill breezed through the State Senate by a vote of 34-1. It then headed to the House Ways and Means Committee for additional consideration, where it sailed through by a vote of 144-10.

Patrick's historic signature earlier this afternoon was a mere formality.

[Blueface]

I have been getting into this stuff so much lately. Can't get enough.
What do you guys think of the Ultimate Fighter finale? I was surprised to see big Marcus go down so easily in his last fight. Hard to picture Roy Nelson as a fit, MMA fighter but the guy has experience and can obviously fight to get to the finale. Looking forward to Saturday night.

[ActionAndy]

Roy's tendency to take a few punches early in the fight has me a bit worried that Schaub might get that puncher's chance KO. However if the fight gets anywhere past the one minute mark (which I suspect it will) Nelson gets this victory any way he chooses. I don't care if he escaped from that full mount, Schaub's ground game is terrible. Remember all the fence grabbing in his other fight?

I'm giving Big Country about an 80% chance of winning this fight. Overall a very unimpressive season but decent, watchable fights last night.

[Ken]

I'm no fan of Nelson's but I'm glad he mauled that *****. It's just priceless to see some cocky bastard sticking his chin out showboating and then eat a punch.

It's good to see Marcus on the fight card as he looks to have good potential and I didn't want to see him give up on MMA. He'll be fighting Matt Mitrione of course.

[ActionAndy]

Originally Posted by Ken

I'm no fan of Nelson's but I'm glad he mauled that *****. It's just priceless to see some cocky bastard sticking his chin out showboating and then eat a punch.

It's good to see Marcus on the fight card as he looks to have good potential and I didn't want to see him give up on MMA. He'll be fighting Matt Mitrione of course.

McSweeney's a bully and a loser, when he tapped his chin Roy answered almost immediately. Loved it.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by Ken

I'm no fan of Nelson's but I'm glad he mauled that *****. It's just priceless to see some cocky bastard sticking his chin out showboating and then eat a punch.

It's good to see Marcus on the fight card as he looks to have good potential and I didn't want to see him give up on MMA. He'll be fighting Matt Mitrione of course.

Great to hear.
Did not know Marcus would be on the card.
After his match was over, I turned it off.

Glad to see McSweeney go down down. Cocky bastard indeed. He thought he was the chit because he trains with Rasheed.

[pmwz]

hope that roy wins. just to piss dana off

[NCRadioMan]

Originally Posted by ActionAndy

I'm giving Big Country about an 80% chance of winning this fight. Overall a very unimpressive season but decent, watchable fights last night.

I too am a fan of Nelson's for a number of years now. I just wonder, where's the spinning back kick? That was his signature after he won fights. I love it when people look at him and count him out because he don't have a six-pack then end up tapping or the ref having to stop the fight because he is schooling them on the ground. WAR Nelson!

Originally Posted by pmwz

hope that roy wins. just to piss dana off

Another reason to like Nelson.


The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale
When: December 5, 2009
Where: The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada
How: Spike TV (10PM EDT/PDT)

Preliminary Bouts:
Mark Bocek vs. Joe Brammer
Dennis Hallman vs. John Howard
Brian Stann vs. Rodney Wallace
Jon Madsen vs. Justin Wren
James McSweeney vs. Darrill Schoonover

Main Bouts
Marcus Jones vs. Matt Mitrione
Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Veach
Houston Alexander vs. Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson
Roy Nelson vs. Brendan Schaub (”The Ultimate Fighter 10″ Finals)
Matt Hamill vs. Jon Jones

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Kimbo struggling with weight cut

Kimbo Slice, 35, says he was in middle school the last time he was at 215 pounds.

Slice, also known as Kevin Ferguson, is the only contestant in “The Ultimate Fighter” season 10 cast that was required to drop weight for the show’s finale, slated for this Saturday in Las Vegas. He fights fellow brawler Houston Alexander at a catchweight of 215 pounds. Alexander normally competes at light heavyweight.

Slice usually fights at around 235 pounds. It’s the first time he’s had to cut weight in his two-plus years as an MMA fighter – and he’s not liking it.

“Not good,” the generously bearded heavyweight said of his first weigh cut. “Not good. Moody… you just don’t feel the same. It’s mental, but it’s not a good feeling, to be honest with you.”

During a media teleconference promoting Saturday’s event, Slice, who admitted he neglected to enlist the aid of a dietician for his introductory cut, was short with reporters asking about his fight.

Asked how he felt about his stint at American Top Team, the normally gracious Slice said of his stint, “For what it’s worth, I guess it’s okay.”

Slice said he hoped the effects of the cut would affect him in a good way, and said he was on target to make the 215-pound limit. He just wanted to fight and get it over with.


Sounds like he is really dedicated.