Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii Signed for New Year's Eve Event in Japan

Filed under: , ,

Fedor EmelianenkoFedor Emelianenko will face former Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii on a New Year's Eve match co-promoted by M-1 Global and DREAM in Saitama, Japan.

The promotions confirmed the fight's booking in a joint news release on Monday afternoon.

It will be the first time Emelianenko fights in Japan in exactly four years, since defeating Hong-Man Choi. That fight led to his arrival in the US and Affliction before he eventually moved on to Strikeforce.

Emelianenko (32-4, 1 no contest) recently snapped a three-fight losing streak by defeating Jeff Monson in a unanimous decision at an M-1 event in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The fight with Ishii had been rumored for some time, but for a time it wasn't expected to happen until officials pulled it together during the past week.

Ishii will be at a severe experience disadvantage, having fought just six times in his career. He's 4-1-1 overall, and most recently fought at a independent show in Brazil where he fought to a draw with former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho. In 2008, Ishii captured an Olympic judo gold medal in the 100+ kilogram weight class.

The New Year's Eve event -- titled Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoko 2011 -- will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and air on HDNet.

Among the other fights officially confirmed are a lightweight bout between Shinya Aoki and Satoru Kitaoka, and a featherweight bout pitting Tatsuya Kawajiri and Kazuyuki Miyata.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/12/12/fedor-emelianenko-vs-satoshi-ishii-signed-for-new-years-eve-ev/

Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen 

The UFC, coming to an online slot machine near you

The UFC, coming to an online slot machine near you

The UFC is inextricably linked to gambling. Owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta also own Station Casinos, and several of the promotions biggest events took place in Las Vegas casinos. Soon, you'll be able to see fighters as you gamble your millions away on online slot machines.

SportsBusiness Journal reports that the UFC struck a deal with Endemol, a company that creates online slot machines. Though the deal will only be in the United Kingdom to start, they're hoping to expand to more places where online gaming is legal.

"Everybody wants to make money, but even more important than that, this is a great extension of our brand," Lawrence Epstein, UFC executive vice president said.

I can't wait to see how this turns out. If you hit the jackpot, does Dana White come on to congratulate you? If you bet conservatively, does he ask, "Do you want to be a [expletive] fighter?" When you bust, does an Anderson Silva punch come at your monitor?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/The-UFC-coming-to-an-online-slot-machine-near-y?urn=mma-wp10721

José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez

The more you climb, the better you?ll climb

I have had a few days away from climbing - in fact, my last session was 3 weekends ago at Froggatt - and so I got back to the gym this week. My local gym has an auto-belay setup so I was able to do some indoor routes without company. And I struggled! Struggled to get [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rock-climbing-blog/~3/m7EzE0aQ8xw/philsheard

José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez

UFC's Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta Cited Among '50 Most Influential in Sports'

Filed under: , ,

Fresh off the momentum of signing the first network deal in UFC history, organizational executives Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta have been listed among the "50 Most Influential People in Sports Business" by Sports Business Journal, a leading publication among movers and shakers in the world of sports.

White and Fertitta were paired together at No. 41, sandwiched between New York Yankees general partner and co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner, and Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Michael Weiner.

The publication cited the UFC's move to FOX-owned networks as well as expansion into South American and Asia as a "watershed year" for the promotion.

It was the first time UFC brass made the cut for the SBD list, which has been released each December since 2004.

White and Fertitta were among the many heads of major sports named to the list. Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig was first among them, followed by NFL boss Roger Goodell and NBA head man David Stern.

The pubilcation's overall choice for No. 1 was Steve Burke, the president and CEO of NBC Universal Holdings, who heads both NBC Sports as well as Versus, which is soon to be renamed NBC Sports Network. He was cited for his winning Olympics rights bid as well as other major business moves since the recent Comcast-NBC merger.

Meanwhile, White and Fertitta's new partners at FOX were also named among the leading powers in sports, with FOX Sports media group chairman David Hill, and co-president and COO's Eric Shanks and Randy Freer collectively ranked at No. 5. SBD cited several FOX deals in 2011 but noted "its biggest splash might been with the UFC, which it brought to broadcast television for the first time."

The seven-year deal between the two sides is reportedly worth about $700 million over the full term. It officially begins in January with a Jan. 20 show on FX followed by a Jan. 28 show on FOX.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/12/12/ufcs-dana-white-lorenzo-fertitta-cited-among-50-most-influent/

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz

Brian Ebersole takes tight decision win at UFC 140

Brian Ebersole halted Claude Patrick's win streak by winning a razor-close split decision at UFC 140 in Toronto on Saturday. The judges saw it 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 for Ebersole.

After the last two fights on the card ended in under a minute, this one started a bit more slowly. Ebersole pushed Patrick back to the fence to work a takedown. Ebersole got Patrick to the ground, but Patrick grabbed a guillotine. Ebersole survived, and the two returned to their feet. The first round finished with more clinching, but no serious damage for either fighter.

The pair returned to the clinch in the second round. Neither man could get get an advantage as they pushed into each other until the final 20 seconds of the round. Patrick landed four big strikes, which constituted most of the offense for the round.

After showing good takedown defense for much of the fight, Patrick was finally taken down by Ebersole. He held onto Patrick's back, landing strikes the whole time. The even match continued as Patrick maneuvered Ebersole into a choke, and then Ebersole rolled out. They returned to their feet, and Patrick landed more strikes. As the round came to an end, Patrick stuffed a takedown, then tried for one more choke, but couldn't hold on. The horn to end the round sounded with Ebersole on top of Patrick.

Ebersole, who has been fighting since 2000, said that the guillotine wasn't close to taking him out. "In my experience, the guillotine is a myth," Ebersole said after the bout of a submission that is quite effective.

He now has a record of 49-14-1. Patrick, who was fighting in front of a home crowd, lost for just the second time in his career. He is now 14-2.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Brian-Ebersole-takes-tight-decision-win-at-UFC-1?urn=mma-wp10592

Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama 

The best of Chael Sonnen at the UFC on Fox 2 press conference

The best of Chael Sonnen at the UFC on Fox 2 press conferenceCHICAGO -- After the UFC on Fox 2 press conference, UFC president Dana White commented on Chael Sonnen's ability to sell a fight. He called Sonnen the best promoter since Muhammad Ali. Comparing Sonnen to the man who called himself the "Greatest of All Time" isn't a title that White took lightly, adding that he knew it was going to get him in trouble.

Take a look at the best of Sonnen's soundbites from Wednesday's press conference, and tell us if White was right.

On if Anderson Silva is next on his schedule: "I got no problem with Anderson Silva, but I'm not going to change my schedule just to kick his ass. If I'm not the best guy and Mark is, then he can go have the shot. But Anderson's not going to fight me in Brazil, in America, in Antarctica, in his kitchen when I'm trying to get a Brazilian steak. He's not going to fight me."

On if Silva is ducking him or Dan Henderson: "I don't believe Anderson's hurt. He says he's hurt and then he's caught on tape working with Wanderlei Silva and working with Lyoto Machida, that got caught on tape. I really don't care about Anderson Silva. How hard is it going to be to become world champion when you're beating up math teachers? I think he's ducking me. I think he's ducking Dan Henderson. I don't think he's hurt."

[Related: Injury keeps Georges St. Pierre out of UFC 143; Nick Diaz to face Carlos Condit]

To a fan who thanked the UFC for coming back to Chicago: "You're welcome that we came back to Chicago. When Dana and I decided to come back to Chicago, he takes most the credit, but you were who we specifically were thinking of. Thank you for coming out today."

On running for office: "I held public office, and I left the only way a person should: in handcuffs."

On his opponent, Mark Munoz, remembering a dirty move that Sonnen used when the two wrestled in college: "Mark's explanation of it being heat of the moment, I appreciate that but I can assure you. It was a pre-meditated and pre-calculated event. I offer no apology. I don't even remember college! I'm driving around with a car with no insurance, a pocket with no money, and the biggest thing on my mind is which kid should I sit next to on exam day. As far as a wrestling match goes, it was the fourth thing on my mind."

On fighting friends: "Everybody's got guys they don't want to fight, and Mark's at the top of that list. Not just because he's a friend but because he's a hard match. I've competed with him and I've never beat him. We have to do this, and on top of that, Mark and I agreed to fight to set up an example for the rest of the guys. This is just competition. Basketball players don't not face each other because they're friends.The answer is yes, and we will compete and we will live with the result."

On Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow: "I've never seen a football game in my whole life. I've never seen a basketball game and my uncle won two championships. This is the only game I know to play. Good for Tim."

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Kris Humphries hopes marital drama doesn't impact search for new NBA contract
? Defeat on Sunday could mean unemployment for coaches Tom Coughlin or Jason Garrett
? Sharks fan creates incredible chain-mail sweater/jersey

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/The-best-of-Chael-Sonnen-at-the-UFC-on-Fox-2-pre?urn=mma-wp10401

Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander

Michael Bisping gets short turnaround, added to UFC on Fox 2; Spike plans to counterprogram

Michael Bisping gets short turnaround, added to UFC on Fox 2; Spike plans to counterprogram

If this wasn't already clear, it looks like Spike television isn't happy with the way its relationship ended with the UFC.

The Viacom-owned television network still has plans to stay in the mixed martial arts game. According to MMAWeekly, Spike is presenting an eight-hour marathon on UFC programming up against UFC's second big show on Fox.

Spike TV officials, however, still have access to a library of UFC programming, including past event broadcasts, until the end of 2012, and they're using said material as artillery to counter-program UFC on Fox 2.

Spike TV is countering the Jan. 28 fight card with a UFC Unleashed marathon. Spike is pulling no punches with the Jan. 28 marathon, airing from 4 p.m. to 12 midnight ET/PT on Spike TV, titling it UFC Unleashed: Evans vs. Davis.

UFC Unleashed: Evans vs. Davis leans heavily on the major players from UFC on Fox 2, predominately featuring Rashad Evans fights, but also including bouts featuring Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen, Mark Munoz, and Michael Bisping.

That's right, Bisping is part of the mix. It was confirmed this morning that the brash Brit will be fighting on less than eight weeks notice against Demian Maia in Chicago on Jan. 28.

Bisping's won four straight while Maia is 9-3 in the UFC. His only losses came against Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz and the middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

The addition of Bisping gives the UFC three polarizing personalities (Bisping, Sonnen and Evans) to handle the prefight media work in advance of UFC on Fox 2.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Michael-Bisping-gets-short-turnaround-added-to-?urn=mma-wp10380

Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen 

Video: The most adorable ?fight? you have ever seen

We take this break from discussion of Jon Jones' choking out Lyoto Machida, and Frank Mir snapping Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's arm to watch some adorableness that will make you giggle. It's two toddlers trying out taekwondo in this video that just went viral.

OK, so it's not so much a fight as two tiny people dancing around each other who come nowhere near landing anything. They do have some impressive movement, though.

Thanks to With Leather.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Video-The-most-adorable-fight-you-have-ever-s?urn=mma-wp10676

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi