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Friday, October 2, 2009

MMA Live Breaks Down Kimbo's TUF Debut & Previews Dream 11

MMA Live breaks down Kimbo Slice's Ultimate Fighter debut against Roy Nelson. In addition, a preview of Hansen-Aoki at DREAM.11, and much more.


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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 12:53 AM 





Saturday, July 25, 2009

Overeem Comments On Hand Injury and Future

Press release from Alistair Overeem

My preparations for my fight in Strikeforce August 15th against Fabricio Werdum were not going as planned.

As many people know there was an incident, were I injured my hand just before I should have fought in the June Strikeforce event! Therefore I was advised to take some rest and this was not easy for me.

When I signed the deal with Strikeforce, I was happy and motivated and this motivation drove me to pick up my training too soon after my hand injury, I thought there may be a chance to still fight in the June Strikeforce event. Now I have to pay the price for that decision and am not able to fight August 15th. This is a decision that has not been easy to make, I am a professional and I want to fight for my living, honour and because I love it!

In 2008 I felt really strong in the heavyweight division and I feel I have brought my fighting to a higher level!

I know I can continue to develop my skills and become a better fighter!

I feel very disappointed that I can not work towards this goal yet because of an injury!

First I want to get my level back from my "demolition period of 2008." This will take a few months, I hope to be ready at the end of September, or the beginning of October, then we can see a vicious and hungry Alistair Overeem, more aggressive then ever!

For sure I will fight in October, maybe in Dream or Strikeforce. I definitely do not want to miss fighting for Golden Glory's 10 year anniversary on October 17th at the PTA Hallen in Amsterdam.

I do not really care against who or where I fight, but I want to be fit and ready!

When I am ready I am more than willing to fight Werdrum for the heavyweight title in Strikeforce!

Sincerely Alistair Overeem

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 4:40 PM 





Thursday, May 28, 2009

MMA Live Reviews UFC 98 and Dream 9, Talks Affliction 3



The boys over at ESPN's MMA Live review Lyoto Machida's dominance at UFC 98, Jose Canseco's splash at Dream 9, the growing Affliction 3 fight card, and more.

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 4:48 PM 





Thursday, May 14, 2009

Is Jose Canseco Nuts or Just Desparate?


Former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco is going to fight in his first mixed martial arts bout on May 26 at Dream 9 in Japan. The above video is of his opponent, Hong Man Choi. The Korean fighter is seven feet two inches tall and weighs in the neighborhood of 350 pounds. He's only 1-2 in MMA, but Choi also has an extensive background in kickboxing, where he has amassed a record of 12-6. This is not going to be pretty.

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 1:45 PM 





Friday, May 8, 2009

"Changing of the Guard" Imminent for Japan?

It's been a persistent question in 2009: can Japanese MMA survive?

All signs point to desperate times for the sport in the Land of the Rising Sun, and with recent news of a "Super Hulk Tournament" at Dream 9 featuring novice Jose Canseco against kickboxing giant Hong Man Choi, many fans are asking, what in the world is going on over there?

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker worked with K-1 promoters Fight Entertainment Group (FEG) for seven years as the promotion's kickboxing connection, and has maintained close contact with the higher-ups at Dream.

The air to Pride's throne has not met ratings expectations with broadcaster Fuji TV and has been moved to a late night spot for its last two events. Though Dream 9 is scheduled for a primetime spot, it may be the network's last-gasp effort to revive the promotion.

In a conference call promoting his upcoming Strikeforce Challenger Series on May 15, Coker addressed his understanding of the situation in Japan. And from the sound of it, major changes are on the horizon.

"I think that they're in a situation where I think there's going to be a transition period soon," he said. "What that means, I'm not sure, as far as who's going to end up, but I think there's going to be some re-branding to another league. There's going to be some changes coming down the pipe; I've heard a lot of different rumors.

"I believe they will be continuing -- I don't think they're going out of business -- but I think there will be a changing of the guard (in FEG)."

Coker is currently working to get his favorite Japanese fighters into Strikeforce: Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Hayato Sakurai. Pride vets Mitsuhiro Ishida and Kazuo Misaki have successfully made the transition to the promotion, and by year's end, Coker wants them in America.

Regardless of the shake-ups that are on the horizon, he says the relationship with FEG will stay strong.

"We have a good relationship with them, and we're still working on some of the fighter relationships going back and forth, which will be great for everybody," said Coker. "Other than that, I don't think it really impacts us. They do some great fights and they do some that I call the circus fights. We're not going to be in that business, but they do have a couple of guys that we really like that we'd like to fight on Showtime and the Strikeforce series."

Meanwhile, a source MMAInsider spoke to on Tuesday said Canseco, initially reported to be weighing the bout despite the promotion's announcement, will take the May 26 fight.

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 1:30 AM 





Friday, March 27, 2009

Mousasi vs. Sokodjou at Dream 9?

Dream middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi has long indicated his desire to make a jump up in weight classes as his young frame matures.

The Dutch fighter threw around some extra weight assisting Fedor Emelianenko in preparation for a fight with Andre Arlovski, and has been sitting on the shelf since winning Dream's title last September.

Now, an opportunity appears to have materialized for Mousasi, though its prospects are still uncertain. A fight at Dream 9 on May 25 is in the works, with Mousasi expected to move up a weight class to face light heavyweight Rameau Thierry Sokodjou, according to Joost Raimond, the COO of M-1 Global, which manages Mousasi.

But Raimond could not confirm that the fight was anywhere close to a done deal, or whether the match-up had even been offered by Dream.

And according to one of Sokodjou's representatives, Heath Sims, it hasn't.

"We haven't even received an offer," Sims told MMAInsider. "If they were to offer it, we might be interested, but we'd have to talk about a lot of things first."

Sims did confirm that Sokodjou was offered, and accepted, a fight against Mousasi at Dream 7 on March 8, but Mousasi turned the fight down, citing lack of time to prepare.

The summer card is the second round of the Japanese promotion's featherweight tourney, with star Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto expected to participate.

Sokodjou, 24, is now 5-4 after a meteoric rise to popularity following wins over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona. The Cameroon native has faced only top-tier talent since the 2007 upset wins, and a fight with Mousasi would certainly fall in line with his penchant for taking difficult matches.

Mousasi, Sokodjou's junior of a year, carries an impressive 27-2-1 record since his professional debut at the tender age of eighteen. Long considered a hot prospect, M-1's relationship with Pride, Dream, and Affliction have given him a wider audience and fan base.

MMAInsider will update this story as more information becomes available.

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 6:48 PM 





Monday, December 29, 2008

DYNAMITE!! 2008 Pre-Event Fighter Interviews

PRESS RELEASE:

DYNAMITE!! 2008 Pre-Event Fighter Interviews

TOKYO, December 29, 2008 -- Around the world, New Year's Eve means wild parties and midnight countdowns, the lifting of glasses and the ringing of bells. In Japan -- between kagamimochi cake and otoso rice wine -- December 31 is also occasion for the most spectacular fightsport extravaganza of the year.

Tens of thousands will fill the Saitama Super Arena, and tens of millions will watch on nationwide television, as 36 fighters go head-to-head in FieLDS DYNAMITE!! 2008.

The event features a dozen DREAM MMA bouts in a variety of weight classes; a quartet of K-1 Rules contests; and the culmination of the K-1 Koshien high school tournament. With the opening bell just 48 hours away, participating fighters met the media today at Tokyo's East 21 Hotel.


DREAM MMA Rules

CroCop vs Choi

Croatian mixed martial arts master Mirko CroCop will step in against Hong-Man Choi of South Korea in a Heavyweight (93.1kg/205lbs+) match. Choi is a former ssirium grand champion, who, at 218cm/7'2" will bring a 30 cm/12" height advantage to the ring. At 167kg/355lbs, Choi is also some 65 kg/125lbs heavier than CroCop.

While Choi has size on his side, CroCop has much more experience -- since his MMA debut in 2001, CroCop has established himself as one of the world's best all-round fighters. Choi, meanwhile has competed just twice under MMA rules.

Choi usually trains in Japan prior to fighting, but changed his tact this time: "I stayed in Korea, where I trained very hard, and actually I just arrived in Japan. I haven't seen Mirko's fight videos, and I'm not interested in seeing them. I know he's a southpaw but I trained as I would for any other fighter. Because 2008 has not been a good year for me, I want to finish this fight quickly and get a good start for next year."

Mirko CroCop did not appear for interviews.


Sakuraba vs Tamura

Living legend Kazushi Sakuraba of Japan will fight compatriot Kiyoshi Tamura at Middleweight (84kg/185lbs). These two attended the same dojo a long time back, and, before Sakuraba went pro, Tamura thrice beat him in wrestling matches.

Sakuraba didn't appear worried about confronting his old nemesis: "I trained the same way as I always do. I know Tamura is a good fighter, but he hasn't had nearly as many fights as me, so I don't have any particular impression of him. I think that for Tamura and for the media, this might be a big deal, but for me it's only one more fight…"

Said Tamura: "It's also a regular fight for me. I know there has been a lot of fan and media interest, but that does not affect me. Of course I have personal feelings but I know we both have changed since the old days, so I just want to make a good fight on Wednesday."


Hansen vs Calvin

This year's DREAM Lightweight (70kg/154lbs) Grand Prix Champion, Joachim Hansen of Norway, will meet the man who previously held HERO'S highest Middleweight honors, Brazilian jujitsu fighter JZ Calvan Brazil.

Asked how he felt fighting as the Champion on New Year's Eve, Hansen was humble:
"I haven't changed my training or let it affect my emotions, and I've prepared for this fight as for any other fight. JZ is an all-round fighter like me, and we can both stay on our feet or go to the ground. I plan to keep my guard tight, I think that's key for me, then I will make a dynamite show for Dynamite!"

Said Calvan: "I'm in very good shape, I'm always in very good shape. I had time to prepare for this and I'm very excited. I love to fight in Japan, the fan are so respectful, and I want to give their energy back inside the ring, so I'll do my best."
Calvan laughed when asked if he'd changed his style: "If you're born a banana, you're going to die a banana -- you just get more mature. I think attitude is the difference between me and Joachim -- the positive things I do in life, to get better and better every minute, every day, every fight!"


Aoki vs Alvarez

Shinya Aoki of Japan will meet Eddie Alvarez of the USA, in a fight that didn't happen at the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix 2008, when semifinal winner Alvarez was not cleared by doctors to continue to the final.

Said Alvarez: "This fight was supposed to happen before, and I think on that night I would've had the advantage because I'd fought fewer minutes than Aoki in the tournament. But in any case this will be a good fight to determine who is the number one fighter in DREAM. As for my strategy, I always believe it's important to impose my will on any fighter, regardless of his fighting style, and to control the fight every moment. I want to fight with all my spirit and put on the best show that I can for my fans."
Informed that Aoki had joked that being married with children might give Alvarez an advantage, the American responded, "The fact that Aoki doesn't have a wife and kids may allow him more time to focus on training, but I believe fighting is an occupation, and my wife and kids are my biggest inspiration to succeed in my job. It's more important for me to be well-rounded as a person, and I'm a very happy man to have this balance.

Aoki laughed when asked how he felt going into his last fight of the year: "It may not be my last fight of the year, you never know what might happen before midnight! Anyway, I want to enjoy myself in the ring, as always. I'm happy and proud that I've been able to fight great fighters this year, like JZ Calvan, Caol Uno and Joachim Hanson. And now, on New Year's Eve, it's great to meet Eddie Alvarez in the fight we couldn't have earlier in the year. If I weren't fighting in the ring, I would want to watch this fight from the audience! I think this will be a great contest, the best on the Dynamite card. Other fighters have gimmicks and so on to finish 2008, but this will be a real MMA fight that will entertain the crowd purely with technique and skills!"


LeBanner vs Hunt

In a showdown of Heavyweight sluggers, French K-1 veteran Jerome LeBanner will meet Mark Hunt of New Zealand, who fought frequently in MMA after winning the K-1 World GP in 2001, but has been less active recently.

Hunt was nonetheless confident: "I've been training for MMA and striking both, as always. Of course Jerome is a great fighter but I've never seen him fight in MMA so I don't know, we'll see how it goes. I don't think he's going to be a strong challenge to me in MMA because I have much more experience. I want to put him away with a submission but sometimes you want a fight to go one way then it goes the opposite way, so I'll try to finish him with anything I can get. I'm ready to fight and win, I want to make some money! Wish me luck!"

LeBanner did not appear for interviews.


Schilt vs Mo

Also in the Heavyweight class, three-time K-1 World GP Champion Semmy Schilt of Holland will meet scrappy Samoan-American Mighty Mo.

Mo's last K-1 fight was almost five months ago, and he was asked what he'd been up to since: "I've been spending a lot of tie with my kids, and I've been training to learn MMA rules and techniques, working with Josh Barnett on takedowns and knee and arm bar submission holds. I know groundwork, because I wrestled in college, and I think I'm very strong on the ground, where my hook is probably even stronger. Of course, fighting Schilt, it's a whole different game, but that's to my advantage because I have strength when we get inside, on the ground, where he'll be weak because of his build. I'm not saying it's impossible to knock Schilt out standing up, but if I'm smart and get inside, I have the advantage."

Said Schilt: "I'm very excited to be fighting in MMA again, it's been a long time but I am confident, I think. I did some MMA training, but really I want to show the fans a standup K-1 fight, worthy of a K-1 Champion, because I'm good at that.
Told of Mo's preference for ground fighting, Schilt replied, "I'm not afraid of groundwork, I can do more than a triangle choke, so we'll see where the fight goes. If the fight goes to the ground I have the skills to win there as well, my groundwork is capable of neutralizing his attacks. However, I want to knock him out, because that's Semmy Schilt!"


Sapp vs Mantaro

Commensurate with Dynamite's wide appeal is the wide range of bouts on the card, and one of the more bizarre is American Bob "The Beast" Sapp's matchup with a flesh-and-blood anime character, "Kinniku Mantaro," from Parts Unknown, in a Heavyweight bout.

"I've focused on muscular endurance and speed training, I've lost weight and I'm in great shape," said Sapp, who rejected the suggestion he was slumping. "If you check my win-loss record I only have three losses over a nine-year span, I fail to see losing three fights as a slump. In fact, I think with the world economy in a slump, it's MMA itself that's also in a slump, so that's why I'm here! I enjoy this role, and I welcome all pressure, I will be victorious and I will show everyone why I fight, why Japan is number one, and why The Beast is number one!"

The costumed Kinniku Mantaro briefly materialized in the interview space, but said nothing.


Zimmerman vs Minowaman

Errol Zimmerman, a rising Dutch K-1 fighter, will test his MMA skills against Japanese pro wrestler Minowaman.

Zimmerman was asked if he was nervous fighting under MMA rules: "If I felt nervous or frightened, or felt that I couldn't beat him, I wouldn't have taken the fight. I have no impression of Minowaman, I'm just confident I'm going to win. There's nothing different about this fight, I got the call two weeks ago, so I started training, that's all. I may use strikes, I will use what is necessary -- maybe like Badr Hari, I'll stomp him on the head!"
Informed that stomps are also illegal under DREAM MMA Rules, Zimmerman feigned surprise: "Oh shit! There goes my plan…"

Said Minowaman: "I just want to show my own style of fighting, beyond pro-wresting. Zimmerman is a total fighter, but I want to do my best, do what I can do in this fight to please my fans.


In other DREAM MMA Rules fights, it will be Japanese Welterweights Hayato "Mach" Sakurai and Katsuyori Shibata; Lightweights Hideo Tokoro and Daisuke Nakamura; and Yukio Sakaguchi versus Andy Ologun of Nigeria at Welterweight.


K-1 Rules

Hari vs Overeem

After accepting penalties imposed by governing body FEG for the foul he committed against Remy Bonjasky at this year's K-1 World GP, Moroccan bad boy Badr Hari was invited to a Dynamite dance with Dutch MMA fighter Alistair Overeem.

Hari's thoughts on the Bonjasky-stomping were the first question asked: "I think 2008 was a very good year and I had a lot of great fights, but I messed it up a little bit in the final. What can I say, I could say a lot but I'll just say I got my punishment and I accept it. I don't look backward, I just look forward."
Although Hari had no conciliatory words for Bonjasky, he did reach out to his fans, "I will try to do my best to show the fans that I'm a sportsman. I regret what happened and apologize to my fans and all the people who supported me, I learned my lesson and will do my best to make sure these things don't happen again."

Hari said the incident didn't affect his preparation for the fight: "At first, I didn't know if I would be suspended or not, so I wasn't sure I'd fight at Dynamite. But I stayed in shape, so I'm ready. Overeem's a good MMA fighter but he doesn't know K-1. Maybe he thinks he does when he trains in the gym, but I'm on different level -- I've knocked out the best, why not him?"

Hari laughed loudly when told that Overeem had pledged to teach him a lesson: "What kind of lesson? I don't care what he says, actually I think if he says that in public, they'll take him to a mental hospital for saying strange things…He'll never beat me!"

Said Overeem, who will be fighting under K-1 Rules for the first time since 2005: "I've seen Badr Hari fight, he's one of the best K-1 fighters right now, he's very fast and very explosive, and he has a very big mouth! I was a bit surprised, like everyone, by his unsportsmanlike behavior in the K-1 finals, but also excited that he wants to fight me. I feel strong, I've trained at Golden Glory with fighters like Errol Zimmerman and Gokhan Saki, and it's also part of my normal training to train in K-1 rules. So I'm very confident. Hari and I are going to have two fights, this New Year's Eve in K-1 rules then later in the year in DREAM rules. I can't wait to get my hands on him. He knocked out [fellow Golden Glory fighter] Zimmerman, so this is a little bit of a revenge match for me!"


Musashi vs Mousasi

Also under standup rules, Japanese K-1 veteran Musashi will fight Dutchman Gegard Mousasi in a battle of near namesakes.

Mousasi is another MMA fighter new to K-1 Rules: "Yes, this is new for me, so I don't know how I'm going to perform, but it's exciting. Because of my weight at 84kg, I was more focused on my ground game in the past, but I've been sparring with Jerrel Venetiaan, and training with the pads with Ernesto Hoost and my kyokushin karate friends. I have to read the K-1 rules again (laughs), but it's kicking kneeing and punching, so I think I'll be alright. I'm now going for a 93kg fighting weight, and once I get over 100kg I'll want to fight more in K-1 rules. I've watched Musashi's K-1 fights, and I know he's a good fighter and has experience that I don't, so I'll make up for that with speed and explosiveness."

Musashi arrived at the interview space merrily singing a song: "I'm in top condition and two days away from the fight, so I feel great," said the seidokaikan stylist. "I had injuries this year, maybe I wasn't treating them early with massage and so on so they got worse. I think I have to be more cautious now because I'm getting older, this year I learned to take better care of myself. Dynamite is my last fight of the year, so I want it to be a good one. Because Mousasi is lighter than me he can move faster, so the key will be keeping up with him, so I trained mainly for speed. I've seen videos of Mousasi's fights, they are mostly MMA fights, but I've also heard he has good striking techniques. Still, I think if I can fight my style of fight with speed, then I'll be ok."

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 6:01 PM 





Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Will Eddie Alvarez Sport Aoki's Signature Spandex Pants On NYE?

Psychological warfare is a big part of the mixed martial arts game these days. The most common form of course is trash talk, but what about wearing a pair of your opponent's signature spandex pants going into a main event fight on New Year's Eve?

That's exactly what Eddie Alvarez joked about doing during a recent appearance on MMAWeekly Radio.

"We already mentioned something like that in the gym. I wanted to do something like that, wear a pair of pants and put something like 'Tonight, I'll be wearing the pants.' Something like that," Alvarez said with a laugh.

In the end, Alvarez says that the pants just wouldn't work out for him, especially in a worst case scenario situation.

"I don't know how great it would be going out there," Alvarez said. "God forbid I get submitted with crazy ass pants on. That's not my style, I'd just rather go out in my regular shorts."

The reaction from the Japanese crowd would likely be very mixed as well.

"Everybody will be looking at me, 'look at this (expletive) in the spandex pants," Alvarez commented.

Regardless of his selection of fight wear that night, even Alvarez has said he looks forward to Aoki's entrance.

"You should see when he comes out over there, it's amazing. His song's real catchy too."

That song...Baka Survivor....check it out on YouTube.

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 2:05 AM 





Friday, November 28, 2008

No. 8 Ranked Mousasi to Kickbox on New Year's Eve in Japan

PRESS RELEASE:

M-1 Global's Gegard Mousasi to take on Musashi on Dec. 31 in Japan at FEG's "Fields Dynamite!!"

Gegard Mousasi, an M-1 Global contracted fighter and the 2008 winner of DREAM's Middleweight World Grand Prix, has officially signed to return to DREAM for FEG's "Fields Dynamite!!" on Dec. 31 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

M-1 Global can reveal that the 23-year old will be taking on four-time K-1 Japan tournament champion, Musashi in a K-1 rules match.

The matching up of Mousasi vs. Musashi is intriguing outside of the fact that their last names are similar, as both are known as world-renowned strikers.

Before becoming the first-ever DREAM Middleweight Champion at DREAM 6 this past September, Mousasi was also a former Cage Warriors Middleweight Champion and a former amateur boxing champion. He has also served as a striking coach for current WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko.

Musashi, a Japan native, is a former WAKO Heavyweight Muay Thai Champion and is also a two-time K-1 World Grand Prix finalist.

Born in Iran to Armenian parents during the Iran-Iraq war, Mousasi was raised in the Netherlands and began studying martial arts at a young age. Starting with both boxing and Judo, he would eventually become a standout kickboxer before achieving crossover success in mixed martial arts.

Mousasi won the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix after knocking out world-class grappler Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza with an upkick at 2:15 of round one on Sept. 23. He reached the final after winning in the semifinals, which were held the same night. Facing K-1 standout Melvin Manhoef, Mousasi utilized his improving ground skills to submit the striker at 1:28 of round one.

Prior to his semifinal and final victories, Mousasi had defeated current UFC fighter Denis Kang in the Grand Prix's first round at DREAM 2 in April and then Korean Dong Sik Yoon at DREAM 4 in June in round 2.

Mousasi is 24-2-1 in a pro MMA career that began in April of 2003. During his five-year career that includes fights for PRIDE, MFC, M-1, DEEP, and BodogFIGHT, Mousasi has recorded notable victories over Kang, Manhoef, Souza, Makoto Takimoto, Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, and Erik Oganov. He is currently the sixth-best middleweight in the world, according to the November rankings poll by the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts.

He is currently ranked as the No. 8 middleweight in the MMAWeekly.com World MMA Rankings.

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 10:49 PM 





Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Nick Diaz vs. Eddie Alvarez in Japan?

News of the contractual jiu-jitsu being employed by MMA managers to free themselves of Elite XC has spread fast.

Several managers MMAInsider spoke to, including Ken Pavia of MMA Agents, Matt Stansell of NCFC Fight Management, and Cesar Gracie confirmed they had sent notices of breach to Elite as early as Tuesday last week.

Should they be successful in breaking from the defunct company, fifteen fighters will hit the free agent market in late November.

MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday confirmed that Nick Diaz was almost certainly Japan-bound and would fight for Dream (via parent company Fight Entertainment Group) or Sengoku sometime on or around the New Year.

Another fighter from Elite's roster, Eddie Alvarez, was scheduled to make his Showtime debut against Diaz on Nov. 8 before the card was cancelled. Alvarez had the same clause in his contract as Diaz allowing him to fight in Japan as long as it did not interfere with his Elite duties.

Alvarez said he was currently weighing his options with manager Monte Cox.

"He wants me to sit still a little bit so we can try to get something a little more secure and sign with a promotion that's going to take care of us financially and get us the right opponents," Alvarez said.

Alvarez says he's in shape and is ready to fight any time. A fight against Diaz in Japan would certainly interest him.

"That's a great idea," he said. "Right now, I think his main focus is signing with an organization and keeping me fighting. We want to do that in the United States, as well as Japan, but we don't have any US promotions, right now, to do that."

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 7:00 PM 





Saturday, October 25, 2008

JZ and Shaolin on Course for NYE in Japan

There is a star-studded cast of international fighters in Chicago this week for UFC 90, including a strong contingent of Brazilian fighters. A couple of the more prominent fighters from Brazil informed MMAInsider that, not surprisingly, they are heading to Japan for New Year's Eve.

Gesias "JZ" Calvancante said that he has healed up from his injuries and will be fighting during Japan's biggest MMA time of year. The deal hasn't been completely finalized yet, but he plans on fighting Dream champion Joachim Hansen, as previously reported by MMAWeekly.com.

Of course, with Japan's penchant for changing up fights at the last minute, you never know.

In town to corner Thales Leites, Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro said that he whole-heartedly plans on fighting in Japan on New Year's Eve as well. He still is under contract with Dream and will fight, but he has yet to be given an opponent.

Kind of sliding in under the radar is Shaolin's recent decision to pull up roots and come to America. About four months ago, according to him, he moved to Jersey City, N.J. and now has his own academy open in mid-town Manhattan.

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 12:56 PM 





Friday, October 17, 2008

Sylvia In Talks With Dream and Sengoku

Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia might be making another big move soon--to the land of the Rising Sun.

Sylvia's manager, Monte Cox, confirmed to MMAInsider that Japanese promotions Dream and Sengoku have expressed interest in importing the tree-limbed fighter. No agreements have been signed, but negotiations are ongoing.

Sylvia's non-exclusive deal with Affliction allows the move, although Cox says he would also like to see Sylvia face off with Paul Buentello or Roy Nelson on Affliction's January card--i.e., someone a little less lofty than Fedor Emelianenko--to lay the groundwork for a comeback.

Save for a few marquee names, Dream and Sengoku's heavyweight divisions are paper thin. If Sylvia's in the mood for sushi, he might do some serious damage in Japan.

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 1:55 AM 





Tuesday, October 14, 2008

JZ vs. Hansen on New Year's Eve?

Just about a month ago, top ranked lightweight Gesias "JZ" Calvancante told MMAWeekly.com in an interview that he was eyeing a December return and a fight against Dream Grand Prix winner, Joachim Hansen.

It appears his dreams may come true.

While nothing has been made official by the promotion, JZ should be returning on the New Year's Eve card to face Joachim Hansen in a pivotal lightweight showdown.

Now the interesting part of the story comes in that the fight is likely to take place on the K-1 "Dynamite" year end show, so with no official affiliation to the Dream brand, the fight would be a non-title affair.

Many of the popular Japanese promotions have become notorious for changing things around last minute, so for now this fight is just a rumor, but all signs point to a JZ-Hansen fight to close out 2009.

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 2:54 PM 





Monday, October 13, 2008

Nick Diaz FINALLY Gets Paid

In a brief news update on Caesar Gracie's website, he posted an update on the status of some of his fighters and what they have going on.

As we posted here in the MMAInsiderBLOG, Jake Shields opened up his new academy over the weekend. It is a new GracieFighter Academy located in Berkley, Calif.

Nick Diaz has been confirmed to fight Eddie Alvarez on the Nov. 8 EliteXC fight card in Reno, Nev., and now he's also been paid for his fight for Dream… which took place FIVE MONTHS ago! According to Gracie, Diaz has agreed to return to Japan, but leaves the door for speculation wide open as he says, "At this point it is unclear for which organization" that Diaz will fight for in Japan.

It has been oft rumored that Nick's brother, Nate Diaz, will be fighting on the Dec. 13 Ultimate Fighter Finale on Spike TV. The update indicates that Nate is still waiting to hear if he will actually be added to the card or not.

Another GracieFighter team member, Damien Douglas, is expecting to return to ShoXC on the November card. Douglas is 3-1 in MMA thus far, winning his most recent ShoXC outing, defeating Joe Schilling in September.

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posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 7:02 PM 





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