MMA-URLS

14 year MMA pro Din Thomas (26-8) refused to pass the torch in the main event of Pure MMA 2. 21 year old prospect Cody Bollinger (12-3) was pitted opposite Thomas for the Pennsylvania's promotion's second card. The fight for Thomas was his in over two years and comes after a car crash in October scrapped the 35 year old's last bout. After avoiding Thomas' initial strike attempts Bollinger scored points with an aggressive takedown. Off his back Thomas threw up submission holds that halted Bollinger's efforts at offense from the top. Bollinger, a product of Joe Stevenson's Cobra Kai gym, battled out of Thomas' first armbar attempt but had more trouble with the second arm bending maneuver. Thomas locked onto Bollinger's arm just past the two minute mark and did not let go. The four star featherweight prospect was forced to tap out at the 2:09 mark of round one. Thomas has now won his last four fights via stoppage or submission. The loss for Bollinger snaps a four fight winning streak. Bollinger last loss came at the hands of lightweight prospect Magno Almeida (9-3) by first round armbar in July 2010. A lanky 5'10 featherweight, Bollinger viewed the fight with Thomas as the final step prior to a eventual UFC contract. Bollinger is roughly one to two wins away from a big league call-up and the California fighter remains a four star prospect at 145 pounds. In the latest ULTMMA.com prospect rankings Bollinger hits the number 10 spot in the unsigned featherweight division. Pure MMA 2 Next Episode resultsWilkes-Barre, PADin Thomas def. *Cody Bollinger by submission armbar 2:09 R1Waylon Lowe def. Mike Diggs by TKO (strikes) 3:13 R2Pete Martin def. Michael Byrnes by unanimous decision*Rustam Khabilov def. Jason Dent by unanimous decisionWilliam Miller def. Andrew Osborne by submission guillotine choke R1Lazaro Gonzalez def. Craig Moyer by submission guillotine choke 0:19 R1Eddie Ramos def. James Watts by submission guillotine choke 1:51 R1Brett Martinez def. Kenneth Nagle by submission rear naked choke 1:54 R1*Prospect to watch

Posted in: submission, prospect, submission guillotine, thoma, bollinger

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After a 12 month layoff Swedish promotion The Zone Fighting Championship held their tenth event in Gothenburg. In the main event hometown hero Assan Njie (13-2) used his improved wrestling and precision striking to outpoint Morten Djursaa (9-4). A former middleweight competitor, Njie is a accomplished striker at 170 pounds and he may be scooped up by the UFC when they return to Europe. The top prospect booked for The Zone FC Demolition was 22 year old bantamweight Sirwan Kakai (7-1). Opposite of Kakai was Brazilian journeyman Claudemir Souza (8-5). In a wrestler versus jiu-jitsu match-up Kakai's violent ground n' pound would eventually prove too much for Souza. In round one Kakai warmed up on the feet and finished the round punching on Souza from the top position. Round two saw Souza threaten Kakai on the ground with choke and armbar attempts. The final round turned into a slugfest as Kakai connected with big punches and dropped Souza for the floor with strikes from the clinch. Kakai followed Souza to the floor and ended the fight with a flurry of big punches that when unblocked. The TKO win was Kakai's second via KO or TKO in his career. Kakai has finished off his opponent in six of his seven career MMA wins. Working with American Top Team in Florida Kakai is on the fast track to eventual deal with the UFC. Kakai was cut in the second round of the Ultimate Fighter 14 casting and is clearly on the promotions radar. As a 135 pound MMA prospect Kakai is a solid ground fighter with a stand-up game that is being refined. Kakai is rated as a four star bantamweight prospect. The Swedish fighter is ranked as the number nine 135 pound prospect in MMA in the latest ULTMMA.com top 20 prospect listing. The Zone FC Demolition resultsGothenburg, Sweden *Assan Njie def. Morten Djursaa by Unanimous Decision*Martin Svensson def. James Saville by Submission Rear Naked Choke 3:02 R2 *Sirwan Kakai def. Claudemir Souza by TKO (Knees and Punches) R3Eddy Bengtsson def. Vasiliy Kachan by Submission Guillotine Choke 0:33 R1Tor Troeng def. Mats Nilsson by Unanimous DecisionJonathan Svensson def. Kristoffer Kallgren by TKO (Punches) 1:44 R1 Johan Jorup def. Magnus Strandner by TKO (Punches) 1:27 R1Martin Akhtar def. Ricardo Chavez by TKO (Punches) 2:39 R1 Fernando Gonzalez def. Per Franklin by Submission Guillotine Choke 2:40 R2 Frantz Slioa def. Rami Aziz by Split DecisionFredrik Jostelius def. Roger Lyngbrant by Unanimous Decision *Prospect to watch

Posted in: tko, prospect, punch, souza, kakai

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With UFC's newly minted 125 pound division in his cross-hairs prospect Sergio Pettis (4-0) did not flinch when he was booked versus the unknown Chris Haney (3-4). The 18 year old younger brother of UFC star Anthony Pettis, Sergio's flyweight bout with Haney was the top undercard draw for North American Fighting Championship's Colosseum event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After moonlighting as a bantamweight the fight versus Haney was Pettis' first at 125 pounds as a pro. Pettis surprised in round one by taking down Haney and beating up with elbows on the ground. In round two Pettis nailed Haney with a head kick that dazed the Illinois fighter against the cage. Pettis would spend the remainder of the round clipping Haney with strikes on the feet. Pettis saved his best round for the final frame when he mixed his precision striking with takedowns. Trained in Wisconsin, Pettis lit Haney up with elbows on the feet before he closed the round with an emphatic takedown. After 15 minutes all three judges scored the fight in favor of Pettis. Pettis went 3-0 as amateur and with the decision over Haney moves to 4-0 since turning pro in September 2011. Out of the famed Roufus Sport camp in Wisconsin, Pettis began to earn buzz as a prospect during his amateur MMA and kickboxing days in 2009. Now only eight months into his pro career Pettis continues to validate his label as a four star prospect with each passing bout. The 5'6 Pettis has the ability to compete at 135 or 125 pounds in the UFC. In the latest ULTMMA.com prospect rankings Pettis checks in as the number 14th rated bantamweight. If, Pettis keeps his MMA record on the plus side he should be signed up by the UFC in 2013 or sooner him he chooses to. NAFC Colosseum results Milwaukee, WI *Rick Glenn def. Charon Span by TKO (Punches) 0:29 R2Josh Robinson def. *Dustin Ortiz by Split Decision *Sergio Pettis def. Chris Haney by Unanimous Decision Matt Gauthier def. Israel Lozano by Split DecisionRobert Coulliard def. Aaron Carter by Submission Triangle Choke 4:33 R2Agostino Denatale def. Cody Osborne by TKO (Retirement) 0:25 R2Mike Rhodes def. Zak Ottow by Unanimous DecisionJames Barber def. Jamie Bowar by Submission Arm Triangle Choke 1:12 R1Elias Garcia def. Dillon Woods by TKO (Punches) 1:57 R3Nate Jennerman def. Doug Deback by Submission Rear Naked Choke 1:20 R2*Prospect to watch

Posted in: round, petti, prospect, haney, wisconsin pettis

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Shooto Americas held their 29th event in Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. At the top of the card a handful of Brazilian bred MMA prospects picked up huge wins that may carry them to bigger stateside promotions. In the main event former challenger to UFC champ Jon Jones, Carlos Eduardo (9-2) shocked former five star prospect Marcos Rogerio de Lima (9-2). After a close first round between to the two light heavyweights Eduardo knocked out Lima in spectacular fashion. It was the first clean KO of Eduardo's nine year MMA career. Coupled with his loss in his Strikeforce debut Lima has now lost back to back fights. In a somewhat shallow 205 pound prospect field Eduardo's now seven fight win streak will get in him long looks from the both the UFC and Bellator as a potential signee. Bantamweight prospect Zeilton Rodrigues (8-3) continued his string of exciting victories. Rodrigues choked out Mauricio Santos Jr. (6-7) midway through the second round. A 5'8 bantamweight, when he wins Rodrigues has stopped all eight of his pro opponents. Perhaps the best prospect in action was 26 year old welterweight Hernani Perpetuo (13-3-1). Perpetuo put away newcomer Edgar Sedovia (0-1) in under two minutes. Perpetuo submitted Sedovia with a slick kimura at the 1:46 mark of round one. A product of Nova Uniao, Perpetuo is 4-0-1 in his last five fights. If, Perpetuo's hot streak continues a call-up to the UFC is not out the question before the end of 2012. Shooto Brazil 29 resultsRio de Janeiro, Brazil*Carlos Eduardo def. Marcos Rogerio de Lima* by KO (Punches) 0:17 R2*Zeilton Rodrigues def. Mauricio Santos Jr. by Submission Guillotine Choke 2:09 R2*Hernani Perpetuo def. Edgar Sedovia by Submission Kimura 1:46 R1Rafael Viana def. Alessandro de Jesus by TKO (Punches) 1:40 R1Eduardo Betini def. Rodolfo do Carmo by Submission Rear Naked Choke 1:26 R1Raoni Barcellos def. Gilmar da Silva by Submission Guillotine Choke 1:16 R1Caio Alencar def. Felipe Gutemberg by Submission Arm Triangle Choke 2:30 R1*Prospect to watch

Posted in: submission, prospect, lima, eduardo, perpetuo

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The main event of Ring of Combat 40 was originally scheduled to feature Tom DeBlass, but the light heavyweight heeded the call from the UFC for its show in Sweden on April 14.

Posted in: ufc, show, prospect, ed, light heavyweight

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Sometimes what you think you want is not always what you really want or what is best for you. Undefeated featherweight prospect Brandon Bender found that out back in 2007, after winning his first two professional mixed martial arts fights.

Posted in: prospect, brandon, bender, brandon bender, sherdog prospect

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You can't teach 6'7'', and that's why Travis Browne is fun to watch. The massive Hawaiian heavyweight prospect scored big last night (Sat., April 21, 2012) with a quick submission of Strikeforce veteran Chad Griggs at UFC 145: "Jones vs. Evans" in Atlanta, Georgia. Scoring a nice flying knee in an early exchange which set the stunned Griggs up for the takedown and finishing hold, Browne fought tall while displaying impressive athleticism for such a rangy guy. Typically, heavyweights Browne's size can seem plodding, as though they're incredibly powerful monsters fighting underwater, but "Hapa" is a very nimble fighter for his size. It's encouraging to see him display his "A" game, because after his dreadful decision win over limited Rob Broughton in his last outing, you wondered if Browne had simply seemed a mirage. Earlier performances dangled the kind of big-man potential that makes for heavyweight excitement, as Browne devastated James McSweeney and Stefan Struve, while drawing with veteran Cheick Kongo in a very tough bout. The Broughton fight showed every bad heavyweight stereotype a young prospect can display -- low work rates, stumbling technique, long mutual pauses in the action, and no definitive statement. But that was clearly a learning experience Browne has put under his belt and taken to improve himself. Griggs is a chronically underrated fighter, and a no-frills heavy hitter that comes to bang. His punishing, hammer-fist-flurry stoppage of Bobby Lashley was one of the feel-good moments of 2010, as Griggs basically came from nowhere to destroy a hyped prospect that felt more WWE than MMA. Brown is in a good position to develop with some more gut-check style fights and to gain experience, and for his next match, a showdown against Ben Rothwell would make perfect sense. Rothwell dispatched Brendan Schaub last night, and is the kind of opponent that won't go easily. Plus, his renewed commitment to physical conditioning suggests he's tackled his biggest career impediment. With a renewed Browne using his size to deliver strikes, that's a match any fan should want to see. Jason Probst can be reached at twitter.com/jasonprobst and Jason@jasonprobst.com

Posted in: heavyweight, prospect, browne, size, grigg

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Missouri promotion Fight Me MMA returned to the Family Arena in St. Charles for their fifth card overall. At the top of the card lightweight prospect Zach Freeman (4-0) and veteran women's fighter Tonya Evinger (10-6) picked up quick highlight reel round one victories. The undercard of Fight Me MMA featured a competitive flyweight prospect runoff between Missouri's Josh Sampo (6-1) and Idaho's Czar Sklavos (6-2). A product of the St. Charles MMA fight team, Sampo need a signature win to add to his fight resume. Sampo's pressure attack and underrated striking kept Sklavos on his heels for much of the first two rounds. The third round saw Sampo go back to his ground game and smother Sklavos for the final five minutes of the fight. All three judges cageside scored the fight 30-27 in favor of Sampo. The win was the third straight for Sampo. At 27 years of age Sampo can easily make the 125 pound weight limit and he is positioning himself well for a potential run to the UFC by the end of 2012. Sklavos began his MMA career with a close decision loss to future Ultimate Fighter Finalist T.J Dillashaw and then proceeded to consecutive fights; five via stoppage. The 30 year old Sklavos still has all the skills to earn a spot in the UFC before his career is over. Sklavos is rated as the number 16 flyweight prospect in the latest ULTMMA.com top 20 rankings. Fight Me MMA results St. Charles, MO*Zach Freeman def. Bryant Whitaker by Technical Submission Guillotine Choke 0:29 R1 Tonya Evinger def. Lacie Jackson by KO (Punch) 1:47 R1*Josh Sampo def. *Czar Sklavos by Decision (Unanimous)Ray Grindstaff def. John DeVall by Submission Armbar 3:28 R2Jessica Halverson def. Nikita Netjes by TKO (Punches) by 1:04 R1David Sharp def. Jonathan Chandler by Submission Knee and Punches 0:21 R1Alex White def. Greg Wilson Jr. by Submission Rear Naked Choke 2:05 R2*Prospect to watch

Posted in: fight, mma, prospect, sampo, sklavo

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With title belts on the line two of the east coasts top MMA prospects leaped over another hurdle in their progression as fighters. Cage Fury Fighting Championships returned to Atlantic City, New Jersey for their 14th event entitled No Mercy. On the undercard of CFFC 14 five star bantamweight prospect Aljamain Sterling (6-0) and rising flyweight prospect Sean Santella (10-3) were in action in separate championship bouts. In his first title defense of the CFFC bantamweight belt Sterling was paired with unheralded North Carolina fighter Casey Johnson (3-2). The upset minded Johnson caught Sterling in a tight triangle choke in the first round but was unable secure the fight ending submission. Sterling powered out of Johnson's triangle choke and would batter his opponent for much of the next two rounds. Midway through the third round Sterling would ice the fight on the ground. Using his wrestling and lightweight level power Sterling took Johnson's back. The unbeaten bantamweight secured the rear naked choke submission at the 2:11 point of round three. At 22 years of age Sterling is one of the ten best prospects in MMA today. A member of the famed New York gym Team Bomb Squad, Sterling's natural wrestling abilities are the base for a well rounded MMA fighter. Sterling is currently the number one ranked bantamweight prospect in MMA per the latest ULTMMA.com rankings. In a New Jersey versus Pennsylvania clash Santella took apart Tuan Pham (4-5) with relative ease. When the fight hit the floor in the opening minutes of their 125 pound fight, Santella quickly sliced through all of Pham's defenses on the mat. Santella would eventually take Pham's back and lock in a rear naked choke for the win. The official time of Santella's submission was the 1:53 mark of round one. Santella has now won five of his last six loss with his lone defeat in the stretch coming in a 135 pound fight versus Aljamain Sterling. Now firmly implanted as a flyweight prospect the 27 year old Santella should be added to the UFC sooner rather than later. A key member of the AMA Fight Club in New Jersey, Santella would add great depth to the newly installed UFC 125 pound division. Santella is tabbed as the number 15 ranked flyweight prospect according to ULTMMA.com but his last few fights has strengthen his case as a four star prospect and a spot in the unsigned top seven. Cage Fury Fighting Championships 14 No Mercy resultsAtlantic City, NJGeorge Sullivan def. Greg Soto by KO (Punch) 2:09 R1Aljamain Sterling def. Casey Johnson by Submission Rear Naked Choke 2:11 R3Sean Santella def. Tuan Pham by Submission Rear Naked Choke 1:53 R1Artur Rofi def. Evan Chmielski by Submission Triangle Choke 1:23 R2Danny Holmes def. Erik Purcell by Submission Guillotine Choke 2:48 R1Jonavin Webb def. Robert Gittens by Submission Rear Naked Choke 2:35 R1Mike Medrano def. Matt Nice by Submission Guillotine Choke 0:47 R1 Shedrick Goodridge def. Michael Wilcox by Submission Guillotine Choke 1:17 R1Brian Kelleher def. Raphael Chaves by TKO (Punches) 3:41 R2Ozzy Dugulubgov def. Brian Nielson by TKO (Punches) 1:41 R1Travis Wynn def. Anthony Craparo by Unanimous Decision

Posted in: fight, submission, prospect, sterling, santella

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Top-ranked flyweight prospect Tim Elliott (8-2) has been added to the UFC website as part of the ever-growing list of eligible 125-pound title contenders. No date or opponent has been named for his pending debut; however, I hear TUF 14 champ John Dodson is sitting at home with nothing to do ...

Posted in: prospect, tim, flyweight, ufc website, evergrowing list

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submitted by neokeynesian [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: vs, prospect, jenkin, gomez, neokeynesian

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The ascent of featherweight prospect Mike Richman (12-1) hit another landmark with his Bellator debut versus former IFL poster boy Chris Horodecki (18-4). Rated as a five star prospect at 145 pounds, Richman was ranked as the number five unsigned featherweight in the latest ULTMMA.com top 20 prospect rankings.

Posted in: bellator debut, prospect, chri, richman, star prospect

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Posted in: agent, heavyweight, prospect, mattyblayze, sign

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Russian heavyweight Ruslan Magomedov is the latest addition to the Bellator Fighting Championships roster. MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the signing with sources close to the once-beaten prospect. Magomedov's debut fight has yet to be scheduled, but he could fight in a season-six non-tournament fight.

Posted in: fight, heavyweight, prospect, russian, magomedov

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 California promotion Xplode Fight Series held their third event of 2012 with a massive 15 fight event. In the main event (video above) local California prospects Jason Miknuk (4-2) and David Salas (4-2) continued the breakneck pace of the bout sheet with ninth first round finish of the night. Miknuk sniffed Salas with a solid knee and finished him with punches in the fight's opening exchange. A 6'1 featherweight prospect the win for Miknuk snapped a two fight losing skid. Former WEC bantamweight and current flyweight prospect Danny Martinez (16-4) picked his third win in a row with a first round stoppage of Rich Bonafidini (0-1). Martinez, now training out of Alliance MMA in San Diego, overwhelmed Bonafidini with punches just past the two minute point of the opening frame. The official time of Martinez's TKO win was 2:33 of round one. Martinez has won seven of his last nine fights with both losses coming at the hands of world ranked 125 pounders Joseph Benavidez and Jussier da Silva. At 125 pounds Martinez's combination of offensive wrestling and world class training partners make him ready made for the UFC's newly former flyweight division. Still just 26 years of age Martinez is four star prospect at 125 pounds that should be scooped up by the UFC before the end of 2012. In the latest ULTMMA.com prospect rankings Martinez is slotted in the four spot at flyweight. Xplode Fight Series Disarm resultsValley Center, CaliforniaJason Miknuk def. David Salas by KO (Knee) 0:16 R1Merwyn Rivera def. Anthony Moore by Submission Armbar 0:15 R1Marcus Aven def. Squire Redfern by Submission Rear Naked Choke 2:24 R2Shane Kruchten def. Jordan Gammel by Submission Rear Naked Choke 0:09 R1Chris Brown def. Doug Trotter by TKO (Punches) 0:15 R1*Danny Martinez def. Rich Bonafidini by TKO (Punches) 2:33 R1Jesse Lopez def. Joey Apodaca by TKO (Punches) 0:45 R1Carlos Baruch def. Keith Welpner Submission Rear Naked Choke 1:42 R1Derek Anderson def. Dino Valdez by Submission Guillotine Choke 0:26 R1Giovanni Davis def. Casey Ryan by Submission Arm Triangle Choke 0:44 R1Bubba Pugh def. Joe Neri by Submission Triangle Choke 0:57 R1Brandon Morris def. Cardell Williams by Unanimous Decision Kevin Michel def. Jeremy Hernandez by Unanimous Decision Joshua Aveles def. Matt Madrid by Submission Armbar 2:29 R3Ivan Herrera def. Matt Butler by Unanimous Decision *Prospect to watch

Posted in: fight, submission, prospect, martinez, punch

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Marcelo "Magrao" Guimaraes (7-0), the # 2 middleweight prospect in the 2012 BE Scouting Report, has signed with the UFC and will make his debut in July according to Tatame. Guimaraes is the current Jungle Fight middleweight champion.

Posted in: prospect, middleweight, marcelo, guimarae, tatame guimaraes

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Our friends at MiddleEasy and WHOA! TV present Powerful Submissions episode two. Five star welterweight prospect Gunnar Nelson (9-0-1) returned to the cage for the first time in over 16 months. Nelson's results were a grappling lover's dream.

Posted in: prospect, nelson, whoa tv, submissions episode, gunnar

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Another opponent up and another opponent down as the narrative remained the same for Josh Hill (8-0) on the undercard of Score Fighting Series 4. A 25 year old bantamweight prospect Hill stepped into the co-main event slot of SFS 4 at the Hamilton Place Theatre in Ontario, Canada. Hill was matched up with Saskatoon's Eric Wilson (5-2). For Hill it was his fourth fight in a row to go the distance and for 15 minutes a frustrated Wilson could not mount any consistent offense. Hill, a four star prospect at 135 pounds, mixed in enough stand-up and wrestling to keep Wilson off balance for most of rounds one and two. In the final frame Hill put an exclamation point on the fight when he mounted Wilson and pounded away with punches in the final moments of round three. Hill rise as a prospect began in March of 2011 at Aggression MMA 6 in Edmonton. In a five round decision Hill handed fellow prospect Diego Wilson (5-1) the first loss of his career. Out of the respected gym Iron Tiger Muay Thai, Hill has the skill set to compete either in Bellator or the UFC in his next bout. A signature win over a veteran of the sport good add depth to Hill's resume but as a bantamweight prospect is not always a requirement before being called to the big leagues. Due to his striking skills and underrated wrestling Hill is pegged as the number seven unsigned bantamweight in MMA per the latest ULTMMA.com prospect top 20 rankings. Score Fighting Series 4 resultsOntario, CanadaJohn Alessio def. Ryan Healy by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)Josh Hill def. Eric Wilson by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)Forrest Petz def. Sergey Juskevic by TKO (S) 3:25 R2Alex Ricci def. Iraj Hadin by KO 3:16 R1Shane Campbell def. Derek Boyle by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)Lyndon Whitlock def. Corey Houston by KO 4:28 R1Jason Meisel def. Mike Sledzion by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)Elias Theodorou def. Erik Herbert by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)Adam Assenza def. John Roche by TKO (Strikes) 4:17 R1Craig Hudson def. John McPherson by KO 0:57 R1

Posted in: decision, prospect, bantamweight, wilson, hill

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Following a strong 2011, Canadian bantamweight prospect Josh Hill plans to continue the momentum, beginning with Score Fighting Series 4 on Friday night.

Posted in: score, prospect, bantamweight, josh, hill

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  Broadcasting live with Ustream  Live ESPN 3 Video Stream http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/search/wrestling/type/upcoming/Brackets for all weight classes 125-285 pounds http://intermatwrestle.com/Files/pdf/11-12/ncaadivisionichampionships.pdfA total of 46 All American wrestlers will compete in the 2012 NCAA Division I Championships. For MMA fans a few potential cage fighting prospects will hit the mat over the next three days. *Potential MMA prospects to watch after the jump Returning All-Americans in the 2012 NCAA Division I tournament (46)125 Mango Ryan125 McDonough Matt (2x)*125 Patterson Jarrod125 Sanders Zach (3x)125 Bedelyon Nic133 Futrell B.J.*133 Oliver Jordan (2x)133 Quiroga Cashé141 Kemmerer Zack141 Marion Montell (2x)*141 Novachkov Boris (2x)141 Russell Kellen (2x)*149 Molinaro Frank (3x)149 Nauman Tyler*149 Parks Jamal*157 Dake Kyle (2x)157 Lister Justin157 Peppelman Walter157 Sanjaa Ganbayar157 St. John Derek157 Welch Jason165 Asper Josh165 Gillespie P.J.165 Hatchett Brandon165 Onufer Shane*165 Taylor David174 Amuchastegui Nick (2x)174 Blanton Jordan*174 Ruth Ed184 Bennett Ben (2x)184 Bosak Steve184 Gambrall Grant184 Hamlin Robert184 LeBlanc Joe (3x)184 Steinhaus Kevin*184 Wright Quentin (2x)197 Chriswell Brent*197 Honeycutt Christopher197 Powless Matt197 Simaz Cam (3x)197 Yohn Sonny (2x)285 Cooper Levi285 Flores Ryan285 Myers Spencer285 Nelson Tony285 Rey Zach (2x)

Posted in: prospect, mma fans, nbsp broadcasting, mma prospects, american wrestlers

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The Bellator Fighting Championships will continue the promotion's trend of scooping up top shelf Brazilian prospects with their latest move. Light heavyweight Phelipe Lins (5-0) will join the Bellator roster in 2012. ULTMMA.com (www.ULTMMA.com) confirmed the news over the weekend.Hailing from Natal, Brazil Lins lasted competed in July 2011. Under the Rock Strike MMA banner Lins knocked out Daniel Alexandre (0-1) in the first round. The win for Lins was his first after a five year hiatus. Lins Bellator debut will likely come in May or on a card in early summer. Prior to his MMA layoff, Lins made waves on the Brazilian circuit thanks to a pair of wins over two time UFC vet Antonio Mendes (17-11). Lins, a 6'3 light heavyweight, knocked out Mendes in their first fight and won via decision in the rematch. The 26 year old Lins currently trains with Nova Uniao Kimura.A heavy handed striker at 205 pounds Lins is rated as a four star prospect by ULTMMA.com. Based on his natural striking talent and world class training partners, Lins checked in as the number ten 205 pound prospect in MMA in the latest ULTMMA.com top 20 prospect rankings.

Posted in: bellator, mma, prospect, light, lin

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Over at Tatame, Guilherme Cruz reports that the UFC is about to agree upon terms with Hacran Dias (20-1-1), yet another superb Nova Uniao prospect at the lighter weights. Hacran "Barnabe" Dias is the current Shooto South America champion 65 kg (143 lbs) and last defended that title in December of 2011 with a victory over Paulo Dantas by submission. Dias has been very much on the radar of matchmakers and prospect-trackers due to his package of skills and his affiliation with the highly regarded Nova Uniao camp. Dias was anointed the overall #1 featherweight prospect (without a contract with a major MMA organization) in Leland Roling and Smoogy's 2012 Scouting Report. Dias essentially looks to bring his opponents to the ground with fairly good wrestling and top of the line submission skills. Several times, he has finished opponents with strikes, which shows a growing competence with that phase of the game, but still looks to employ his strongest ground fighting skill package in fights. Jose Aldo is rumored to be very close to Dias along with Eduardo Dantas, the current Bellator Season Five bantamweight tournament champion. A fight between Aldo and Dias is not likely, yet there is room in the division for both to have plenty of opponents to battle. If this signing goes through, the UFC featherweight division just got harder to walk through in order to get that belt.

Posted in: prospect, featherweight, dia, report dias, paulo dantas

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A cast of 32 lightweight fighters has been revealed by the UFC for season 15 of the Ultimate Fighter. The Ultimate Fighter 15 will feature bantamweights Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as head coaches. TUF 15 will mark the debut of the series of FX and it will be the first season to feature 13 live episodes. The initial cast of 32 will be chopped down to 16 in the preliminary round. Inside the 32 participants the UFC and FX producers have sprinkled the cast with veterans, members of well-regarded fight camps, and big name prospects. A grand total of six lightweight prospects rated and ranked by ULTMMA.com were picked for the opening 16 fights of TUF 15.The official "TUF 15" cast and ULTMMA.com prospect rating: * Akbarh Arreloa (Chula Vista, Calif.) * Al Iaquinta (Wantagh, N.Y.)- Four stars and number six ranked lightweight prospect * Ali Maclean (Belfast, North Ireland) * Andy Ogle (Tynemouth, England) * Austin Lyons (Cordova, Tenn.) * Brendan Weafer (New York, N.Y.) * Chris Tickle (Bloomington, Ill.) * Cody Pfister (Amarillo, Texas) * Cristiano Marcello (Curitiba, Brazil) * Chase Hackett (Littleton, Colo.) * Chris Saunders (Long Beach, Calif.) * Dakota Cochrane (Omaha, Neb.) - Four stars and number 15 ranked lightweight prospect * Daron Cruickshank (Wayne, Mich.) * Drew Dober (Omaha, Neb.) - Four stars and number 18 ranked lightweight prospect * Erin Beach (San Diego, Calif.) * James Krause (Blue Springs, Mo.) * James Vick (Fort Worth, Texas) * Jared Carlsten (Los Angeles, Calif.) * Jeff Smith (Mechanicsburg, Penn.) * Jeremy Larsen (Phoenix, Ariz.) - Four stars and number 14 ranked welterweight prospect * Joe Proctor (Pembroke, Mass.) * John Cofer (Hull, Ga.) * Johnavan Vistante (Pearl City, Hawaii) * Jon Tuck (Hagtna, Guam) * Jordan Rinaldi (Matthews, N.C.) - Four stars and number ten ranked lightweight prospect * Justin Lawrence (Villa Ridge, Mo.) * Mark Glover (Liverpool, England) * Michael Chiesa (Spokane Valley, Wash.) * Myles Jury (San Diego, Calif.) - Four stars and number 12 ranked welterweight prospect * Mike Rio (Miami, Fla.) * Sam Sicilia (Spokane Valley, Wash.) * Vinc Pichel (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)

Posted in: star, prospect, cast, number, calif

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Florida based promotion the Championship Fighting Alliance returned to the Bank United Center in Coral Gables for CFA 5. Known for cultivating Southern MMA prospects, CFA 5 pitted a featherweight title bout in the main event spot. Unbeaten Jordan Parsons (8-0) went wire to wire versus Miami's Danny Chavez (4-1) in the finals of CFA's 145 pound tournament to crown a champion. In a 25 minute fight Parsons, of Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, out struck Chavez on the feet and utilized his wrestling advantage with a handful of successful takedowns. On the ground Chavez would not be finished and worked his away from a diet of heavy ground n' pound. After five rounds all three judges scored the fight in favor of Parsons. The win for Parsons was his third in a row via decision and third under the CFA banner. Originally from North Dakota the 21 year old Parsons has joined the team at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy to supplement his MMA training. Undefeated as a pro and with a 2-0 amateur mark, Parsons is a four star prospect at featherweight on the rise. In a stacked weight class Parsons is projected as the number 13 145 prospect in MMA in the latest ULTMMA.com rankings. An athletic 24 year old out of MMA Masters in Florida, Chavez remains a prospect to watch. With only two years as a pro to his credit, Chavez will learn from a five round loss and can improve on the holes in his game with a active 2012 fight schedule. CFA 5 Chavez vs. Parsons resultsMiami, FL*Jordan Parsons def. *Danny Chavez by Unanimous Decision*Valdir Araujo def. Nicolae Curry by TKO 3:12 R2Alan Arzeno def. Gret Kocani by Split DecisionOscar Delgado def. Joe Johnson by TKO 2:15 R1Victor Delgado def. Denis Hernandez by Unanimous DecisionLuis Nazario def. Gabriel Varona by TKO 1:35 R1Michael Nates def. Jason Somchay by Submission Armbar 3:13 R1Steve Montgomery def. Coltin Smith by KO 0:08 R2Johnny Cardona def. Jayson Jones by Submission Armbar 3:48 R2*Prospects to watch

Posted in: mma, prospect, cfa, chavez, parson

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(Pic) Ladies and germs, meet "Tallereem," 22 year-old Dutch MMA prospect Olivier Richter. He's 7'2" and ready to embark on a career in combat sports. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Props: Middle Easy

Posted in: prospect, combat sports, pic, props middle, pic ladies

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 A trip several years in the making is finally complete for Glover Teixeira (17-2). The Brazilian light heavyweight has signed a deal with the UFC to bolster the promotion's roster. Sources close to the situation confirmed the news to ULTMMA.com earlier in the week. The 32 year old Teixeira will most likely debut with the UFC sometime in the summer. With a 15 fight win streak intact Teixeira is a five star prospect whose time in a major league promotion is long overdue. Visa issues have bogged down Teixeira's career path since 2008. Teixeira first gained notoriety seven fights into his pro career when he knocked out future Pride star Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (12-10). Teixeira would pick up two more wins in California before he took his career to Brazil in 2008. In his home country Teixeira would mostly compete under the Shooto and Bitetti Combat banners while rumors of US work visa issues followed the light heavyweight every time he fought. Teixeira capped off his final year on the Brazilian MMA scene with a 5-0 record in 2011. In his last bout Teixeira stopped former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez (48-15) with punches in the main event of MMA Against Dengue. A member of Ruas Vale Tudo, Teixeira was slotted as the number two light heavyweight prospect in MMA in the latest ULTMMA.com top 20 prospect listing.

Posted in: ufc, heavyweight, prospect, light, teixeira

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Middleweight prospect Derek Brunson will not compete as expected against former champion Ronaldo Souza at Strikeforce “Tate vs. Rousey,” according to promotion CEO Scott Coker.

Posted in: strikeforce, prospect, brunson, derek brunson, derek

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Mike Richman's (11-1) second chance is finally here. A longtime Midwest featherweight prospect, Richman has inked a deal to compete in the Bellator promotion. Richman wast cast on the Ultimate Fighter season 12 but lost in the preliminary round as a lightweight. The 26 year old Richman will fight at 145 pounds in Bellator with his first match set versus former IFL star Chris Horodecki (18-3-1). The Richman-Horodecki matchup will take place on the undercard of Bellator 64 in Canada on April 6th. Richman is a five star prospect at 145 pounds and is slotted in the number five spot in the latest ULTMMA.com prospect rankings. Since his time on TUF 12 Richman has gone 3-1 on the Minnesota MMA circuit. A Minnesota Martial Arts Academy team member Richman's only pro defeat came via spilt decision to Brian Pearman (7-1). Richman last saw cage time in November 2011 when he downed Morgan Sickinger (10-5) by unanimous decision; the win was Richman's first by decision in his 12 fight career. Horodecki will compete under the Bellator banner for the third time at BFC 64. After a 2-2 mark with the WEC Horodecki was released from the promotion in December 2010. Now fighting as a featherweight Horodecki last fought in November 2011 when he battled Mike Corey (12-2) to controversial majority draw.

Posted in: bellator, prospect, horodecki, richman, featherweight horodecki

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Bellator Fighting Championships has signed once-beaten Russian prospect Magomed Saadulaev. MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the deal with sources close to the fighter. Saadulaev, who has competed at welterweight in his native nation, is expected to drop to 155 pounds under the Bellator banner.

Posted in: bellator, prospect, magomed, saadulaev, fighter saadulaev

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 Budding Las Vegas promotion Superior Cage Combat returned to the Orleans Arena for their first event of 2012. SCC 4 continued a matchmaking trend with a bevy of high quality prospects booked on the Nevada promotion's undercard. The main event was an upset as veteran Jay Silva (9-5) choked out Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Kendall Grove (14-10).Two regional heavyweights prospect with big league potential made for a quick fight as Alabama's Walter Harris (7-2) knocked out Washington's Anthony Hamilton (6-1) in round one. Now training out of Jackson's MMA in New Mexico, Hamilton scored with a quick takedown but was unable to keep Harris on his back. Harris planted a hard right hand on the chin of Hamilton and finished the fight with the ensuing punch combination. Harris was awarded the knockout win versus Hamilton at the 1:15 point of round one. A former college basketball player Harris is an athletic big man with ever improving hands. The 28 year old Harris should get long looks from the UFC and Bellator with both promotions always in search of depth for their heavyweight divisions. Harris checks in at number 13 in the latest ULTMMA.com heavyweight prospect rankings. A pair of 25 and under featherweight prospects battled for nearly three rounds as California's Brandon Bender (9-0) pulled off a late submission to halt a fast charging Marlin Weikel (9-3).In a frantic opening 10 minutes both fighters traded chain submission attempts in rounds one and two. With the scorecards up in the air heading into round three, Bender dropped Oregon's Weikel to the floor and moved into side control. Weikel would reserve position and end up taking Bender's back in a scramble before the fight settled into Californians' guard. Bender with a triangle choke off his back finally threw up a submission that Weikel was unable to break free from. Weikel tapped out at the 2:30 mark of round three. The loss snapped an impressive three fight run from Weikel. Only 23 years old, all three of Weikel's career losses have come via submission. Despite the loss Weikel is a very good 145 pound prospect who's all action style, one decision in twelve fights, could land him a spot in the UFC if he is able to string together another sustained win streak. A part of the famed Southern California team Millennia MMA, Bender remains on track for a deal with Bellator of the UFC. After a decision win in his MMA debut Bender has reeled off nine straight submission wins. The 25 year old Bender already has one win on a Bellator undercard and could get a call-up from the promotion depending on the how their spring 2012 145 pound bracket shakes out. Bender, a four star prospect, is the number 12 ranked featherweight in the latest ULTMMA.com top 20 prospect listing. Superior Cage Combat 4 Grove vs. Silva resultsLas Vegas, NVJay Silva def. Kendall Grove by Submission Arm Triangle 1:52 R2John Gunderson def. Justin Buchholz by Submission Kimura 2:34 R3Jamie Yager def. Danny Davis Jr. by Decision (Unanimous)*Paulo Goncalves Silva def. Dominique Robinson by Decision (Unanimous)*Brandon Bender def. *Marlin Weikel by Submission Triangle Choke 2:30 R3*Walter Harris def. *Anthony Hamilton by KO (Punches) 1:15 R1*Jimmy Jones def. Joao Victor by Submission Rear Naked Choke 3:49 R3* Prospects to watch

Posted in: submission, prospect, harri, weikel, bender

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Less than one week before the biggest fight of his budding career, featherweight prospect Doo Ho Choi has reportedly gone missing.

Posted in: week, prospect, featherweight, choi, doo

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 Photo courtesy of Keith Gunther  Two of the east coasts' best prospects utilized a rare submission hold to capture victories in separate bouts at Ring of Combat 39. New Jersey's ROC returned to the Tropicana Resort and Casino in Atlantic City for a 12 fight event. Light heavyweight prospect Tom Deblass (7-0) made a trek up to heavyweight for a fight with veteran Randy Smith (14-10-1) and a shot at another ROC title belt. After a short feeling out process the match hit the floor and Deblass latched on a fight finishing hold. Deblass locked a heel hook submission onto Smith's left leg and the New York big man tapped out at just the 41 second mark of round one. The win for Deblass harkened back to an April 2011 win via Achilles lock over Sean Salmon (18-18).At 29 years old the unbeaten Deblass remains on track for a possible UFC or Bellator contract before the end of 2012.A strong wrestler with heavy hands Deblass's ground game and defenses have improved on the New Jersey MMA scene over the past 12 months. In the latest ULTMMA.com prospects rankings Deblass checks in at number seven in the light heavyweight division. New Yorker Uriah Hall (6-2) reached deep into his bag of submissions to pull off a win over Daniel Akinyemi (2-1). A former fighter in the defunct WCL kickboxing league, Hall traded power strikes with Akinyemi in the opening moments of their middleweight contest. Hall seized the submission opportunity in a scramble back to the feet and caught Akinyemi in a heel hook that forced a quick tap out. The second submission win of Hall's eight fight career came at the 3:58 point of round one. Hall has won two straight since dropping back to back fights versus current UFC fighters Chris Weidman (8-0) and Constantinos Philippou (9-2). The 27 year old Hall's flashy and crowd pleasing striking style should eventually land him a call-up to the UFC or Bellator. According to the 2012 ULTMMA.com prospect rankings Hall is the number ten unsigned 185 pound prospect in MMA today. Ring of Combat 39 resultsAtlantic City, NJTom Deblass def. Randy Smith by Submission Heel Hook 0:41 R1Jeff Lentz def. Giovanni Moljo by Unanimous DecisionPete Sell def. Mitch Whitesel by Unanimous DecisionUriah Hall def. Daniel Akinyemi by Submission Heel Hook 3:58 R1Duane van Helvoirt def. Lester Caslow by Submission Triangle Choke 1:49 R1Ed Gordon def. David Tkeshelashvili by Majority Decision Jarred Mercado def. Rafael Fagundes Machado by Unanimous DecisionMunah Holland def. Pearl Gonzalez by Majority DecisionJames Jenkins def. Dwayne Shelton by TKO (Punches) 1:51 R3Frankie Perez def. Jeremy Uy by Unanimous DecisionAndre Harrison def. Carlos Fonseca by Unanimous Decision Whitney Jean-Francois def. Pat Defranco by TKO (Punches) 2:31 R1

Posted in: submission, prospect, hall, heel, deblas

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Don't know who he is? After obliterating Jake Shields back at UFC Fight Night 25 in Sept. 2011, Jake Ellenberger returns to the cage once again, headlining the first-ever UFC on FUEL TV card opposite the resurgent Diego Sanchez at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb., on Weds., Feb. 15, 2012. In addition, fight night bonus magnets Stefan Struve and Dave Herman will collide in a heavyweight tilt in the co main event, while hard-hitting Aaron Simpson will welcome Nova Uniao prospect Ronny Markes to the middleweight division. But before all that, we've got a nice set of "Prelims" to tide us over before the main card dish is served. Join us after the jump for the first part (of two) of our look at the UFC on FUEL TV "Prelims" that will air LIVE on Facebook, featuring a clash between two of the brightest prospects at lightweight and a pair of streaking champions. 155 lbs.: Anton Kuivanen vs. Justin Salas Regarded as one of the top prospects on the European circuit, Finland’s Anton Kuivanen (16-4) has been on an absolute tear lately, winning nine straight and 12 of his last 13. His impressive list of victims includes the likes of Ivan Buchinger (18-3) and Brazilian grappling menace Thiago Meller. The well-rounded Kuivanen has demonstrated a very crisp striking game with solid grappling credentials to back it up, stopping four opponents with strikes and tapping out eight. The highly-touted Salas would make a fine addition to the furious Finn’s trophy case and certainly send a message to the stacked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight division. Another man considered one of the finer prospects in mixed martial arts (MMA), former Wyoming wrestler Justin Salas (9-3) actually made his 2006 MMA debut on less than two weeks notice. While Salas -- who had never trained in the sport before -- lost via armbar, knocking his opponent out in the rematch just six months later. Recently, he has bloomed into a true contender, defeating UFC veteran Rob Emerson and dangerous bruiser Joe Ellenberger (brother of the event headliner). Replacing C.J. Keith, Salas will look to prove more than just another solid wrestler in a division saturated with them by defeating one of Europe’s finest. Kuivanen breaks the European prospect mold in several ways -- he’s faced stiff competition and has considerable cage experience. He has trained out of American Top Team before and proven himself exciting, well-rounded, and full of potential. Where he doesn’t break the mold enough, though, is in his takedown defense. He’s an excellent grappler, and while his takedown defense has looked solid, "solid" isn’t enough against someone with the wrestling chops of Salas, who held his own against a powerful wrestler in Ellenberger. Against Brit Tim Radcliffe, Kuivanen found himself controlled for most of the first round, though a busted orbital forced Radcliffe to bow out. He just hasn’t faced the sort of fighter with the ability to dictate position that Salas has. Both of these prospects have very bright futures and I look forward to seeing how they do on the big stage. I’m rooting for Kuivanen, but Salas’ ability to dictate position should be enough to overcome Kuivanen’s striking advantage and secure a decision win for the American. Prediction: Salas via unanimous decision 155 lbs.: Tim Means vs. Bernardo Magalhaes A former King of the Cage champion, Tim Means (16-3-1) has been on an absolute rampage since his 2005 loss to Spencer Fisher, going 14-1-1 in his last 16 bouts with 13 finishes. Replacing the viciously-unpronounceable Yoislandy Izquierdo after "Cuba’s" contract issues with his former promotion forced him out of the fight, "The Dirty Bird" has kept himself busy, fighting 10 times in the past two years. Most recently, he took out Tye Brown in 30 seconds on Jan. 21, 2012, and, if he can extend his current streak of first-round stoppages to four on short notice, could put the rest of the division on notice. He’s not the best finisher out there, but grappling expert Bernardo Magalhaes (11-1) known how to win. The owner of the CFC lightweight championship, "Trekko" owns wins over the likes of Legend FC veteran Adrian Pang. Magalhaes, a top control specialist, has nine decision wins to his name, having last finished an opponent back in 2009. If he can impose his game, he can certainly be a headache for anyone he fights, and stifling the dangerous means would do wonders for his stock. I tried to make Magalhaes sound awesome in the last paragraph, but I didn’t have much with which to work. Frankly, the man is a very boring figher. He seems content to sit in top position and throw wimpy little strikes to simulate activity, occasionally passing guard and doing nothing from there. I couldn’t bring myself to finish watching one of his recent fights for research purposes, it was so bad. Means is coming in on very short notice and I haven’t found footage of him, but he strikes me as more than capable of putting down Bernardo. Tim hits hard: 12 of his wins are via knockout, while Magalhaes’s stand up seems to comprise entirely of mediocre leg kicks and occasionally flailing forward into a takedown attempt. Yes, Means fought less than a month ago, but it was a 30-second affair, which shouldn’t impact his conditioning in the least. There’s a good chance we’ll see an abysmally boring fit of positional dominance from "Trekko," but Tim has the goods to connect with something brutal before he gets a chance. Prediction: Means via first-round technical knockout Stop by tomorrow for part two of our, "UFC on FUEL TV 'Prelims' preview and predictions for 'Ellenberger vs Sanchez,'" which comprises two more breakdowns. See you then! Remember, too, that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on FUEL TV, beginning with the "Prelims" bouts on Facebook scheduled for around 6:20 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the main card action as it happens throughout the evening this upcoming weekend.

Posted in: ufc, prospect, tv, kuivanen, sala

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The main event for Tachi Palace Fights first show of 2012 has been finalized. TPF 12 takes place at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California and will feature bantamweight prospects Casey Olson (13-3) versus Cody Gibson (5-2) in the headlining bout. Tachi Palace Fights is California's premier MMA promotion and winner of the 2010 ULTMMA.com local promotion of the year award. For Olson it will not only be his first fight in 22 months but also his first cut down to 135 pounds. A winner of six of his last seven fights, Olson's last loss came at the hands of current UFC featherweight Eddie Yagin (15-5-1) in May 2009. A member of the Pit fight team, Olson was rated a solid 145 pound prospect prior to his sabbatical from the sport. A 24 year old bantamweight Gibson will look to bounce back from a December 2011 defeat to Ulysses Gomez (9-2).Gibson, a Visalia native, is a five time TPF veteran. With a career defining win over UFC bantamweight Wale Watson (9-3) in his back pocket, Gibson remains a highly regarded west coast prospect that could use a win over Olson to add to his big league resume. Two of the best featherweights outside of the UFC will compete in the co-main event as Millennia MMA's Georgi Karakhanyan (17-4-1) takes on Micah Miller (17-4). The 26 year old Karakhanyan has won three straight after parting ways with Bellator in March 2011. The 24 year old Miller has also won three straight but has not competed since a preliminary round exit of season 14 of the Ultimate Fighter. On the undercard a pair of top 20 prospects will also be in action. Four star featherweight prospect Bubba Jenkins (1-0) remains at 155 pounds for his next fight versus California's Chris Gomez (2-3). Mexican prospect Antonio Duarte (15-3) returns stateside for the first time since 2009 against one time UFC bantamweight Francisco Rivera (6-2). Duarte versus Rivera will take place at 135 pounds. Tachi Palace Fights 12 Second ComingLemoore, CA3/9/12Casey Olson vs. Cody Gibson (No. 19 BW)Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Micah MillerRobert Emerson vs. Savant YoungFrancisco Rivera vs. Antonio Duarte (No. 19 FW)Bubba Jenkins (No. 7 FW) vs. Chris GomezLiron Wilson vs. Dave HuckabaAnthony Avila vs. Art BecerraAlex Perez vs. Edgar Diaz

Posted in: fight, vs, prospect, olson, gibson

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A pair of the Tristate areas best prospects were booked in title bouts at the latest Cage Fury Fighting Championship in Atlantic City, New Jersey. CFFC 13 was headlined by Tristar gym featherweight Joey Gambino (9-0) versus Bellator vet Kenny Foster (9-5). The fight for Gambino was his first versus an ex UFC, Bellator or Strikeforce featherweight. In a title fight that went the full 25 minutes Gambino imposed his will on Foster with a strong wrestling game coupled with powerful ground n' pound attack. After five rounds Gambino got the nod all three judges' scorecards. The decision was the first of Gambino's three year pro career. Foster has now lost his three bouts since a March 2011 upset win over Eric Larkin.With a breakneck style of fighting and a top shelf group of training partners Gambino is on track for a UFC call up in 2012. Gambino is a legit five star prospect at 145 pounds and will immediately find success on the entry level of the UFC's featherweight division. The New York born fighter is the number three featherweight prospect in MMA according to ULTMMA.com. Back in the flyweight division AMA Fight Club's Sean Santella (9-3-1) returned to the winner's circle versus Virginia's Bryan Lashomb (3-1). Santella relied on his superior submission game to eventually trap Lashomb on the ground. The 27 year old Santella latched on to Lashomb's left leg late in the second round and secured a kneebar for the win. The tapout came at the 4:47 mark of round two. Santella now has seven submission wins in his 13 fight career. A sparring partner of the Miller brothers and Charlie Brenneman, Santella is on the short list of potential signees for the UFC's flyweight division in 2012. CFFC 13 Gambino vs. Foster resultsAtlantic City, NJTravis Wynn def. Marcus Daniels by Unanimous DecisionBrian Nielson def. Dustin Baker by Submission Rear Naked Choke 4:37 R1Bradley Desir def. Luciano Cristovam by TKO (Punches) 2:43 R2Jackson Galka def. Terrell Hobbs by Submission Guillotine Choke 3:54 R2*Claudio Ledesma def. Pedro Gonzalez by Unanimous DecisionAnthony Morrison def. Jay Haas by Submission Guillotine Choke 3:37 R1*Sean Santella def. Bryan Lashomb by Submission Kneebar 4:47 R2*Joey Gambino def. Kenny Foster by Unanimous Decision *Prospects to watch

Posted in: fight, submission, prospect, gambino, santella

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ULTMMA.com has released and updated its 2012 set of Mixed Martial Arts prospect rankings. The rankings cover a top 20 for each of the eight major MMA weight classes heavyweight through flyweight with a total of 160 unsigned prospects rated.----The race to find the next great light heavyweight or heavyweight MMA fighter is a contest more about potential than proven cage work. When it comes to developing fighters in the sport's two biggest weight classes the regional scene's lack of "big man" depth provides prospects with slim options.Fighting out of the MMA hotbed of New Mexico heavyweight Tyler East (10-3) is a three year pro at the ripe age of 22. Currently in the midst of six fight winning streak the lanky 6'6 East holds notable wins over Nick Gaston and Esteves Jones. Now training at Jackson's MMA in Albuquerque, East is a young, well coached heavyweight which should garner him serious attention from any and all national MMA promotions.   A three time All American wrestler out of Oklahoma State Jared Rosholt (4-0) has quickly risen up the MMA prospects ranks. At 260 pounds Rosholt has dominated all four of his local opponents with takedowns an a suffocating top game. The 25 year old Rosholt has such a strong base to jump off from that 2012 will be another year the four star MMA prospects rounds out his skill set on the local MMA circuit.Brazilian 205 pound prospect Phelipe Lins (5-0) returned to the cage for the first time in over five years. Lins knocked out his opponent in emphatic fashion and in the process once again became a major player in the Brazilian light heavyweight division. The 26 year old Lins is a physical force and will fight two to three times in his home country before he may be signed by a stateside promotion. 28 year old prospect Jan Blachowicz (14-3) entered 2011 on a nine fight winning streak. Sandwiched between a loss and a win versus former pride star Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Blachowicz picked up the seventh submission win of his career. The polish grappling wiz is a proven commodity on the European MMA scene and Blachowicz is in position to land a fight deal with the UFC or Bellator in 2012.Middleweight and welterweight breakdown  Lightweight and featherweight breakdown Bantamweight and flyweight breakdown Light heavyweight and heavyweight updated top 20 prospects 

Posted in: mma, heavyweight, prospect, year, rosholt

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Middleweight prospect Perry Filkins (6-1) picked up the biggest win of his career on the undercard on Combat Zone 40. CZ 40 took place at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire. A promising prospect out of the New England region of the US, Filkins beat down former Strikeforce fighter Louis Taylor (7-3) over the course of two rounds. In round one Filkins peppered Taylor with punches and pressured him with a barrage of strikes. Taylor scored with a pair of takedown attempts but Filkins was able to make his way back to the feet with little damage. The second frame saw Filkins continue his assault in the stand-up game. A combo punctuated with an uppercut dropped Taylor in back half of round two. Filkins unloaded with punches on a fallen Taylor until the referee stopped the bout at the 4:02 point of round two. The 23 year old Filkins has now won four straight bouts all via TKO.At 185 pounds Filkins is a solid prospect to track out of the North East area of the US. Training out Miletich Fighting Systems NH, Filkins lone blemish on his record came at the hands of Team Bomb squad wrestler Cornelius Murray (3-1). Filkins ranks as a three star prospect who is a dangerous finsher and will gravitate to stronger competition in 2012. Combat Zone 40 resultsSalem, NHTim Lightfoot def. Jay Parrin by Unanimous DecisionLloyd Fernandes def. Cleon Hoggard by Unanimous DecisionMike Materkowski def. Derek Shorey by Submission Rear Naked Choke 0:55 R2Cody Anderson def. Ahsan Abdullah by TKO (Punches) 2:11 R1Jared Cuomo def. Hassan Mahmood by Submission Brabo Choke 1:16 R2David Spero def. Nick Berube by Split DecisionPeggy Morgan def. Fernanda Aurajo by Submission Armbar 2:54 R2Zack Lange def. Walter Smith-Cotito by Unanimous Decision Perry Filkins def. Louis Taylor by TKO (Punches) 4:02 R2Ray Shawdee def. Brandon Cyr by KO (Punch) 1:17 R1Don Carlo-Clauss def. John Ortolani by TKO (Punches) 2:53 R2*Prospects to watch

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 ULTMMA.com has released and updated its 2012 set of Mixed Martial Arts prospect rankings. The rankings cover a top 20 for each of the eight major MMA weight classes heavyweight through flyweight with a total of 160 unsigned prospects rated. 120 prospects from 125-185 pounds have been added with the remaining two weight classes updated by February 1.---- A sign of how the UFC, Bellator and Strikeforce are handling their rosters the welterweight and middleweight divisions have gone through a massive change over in the past 12 months. 170 pounds remains talent rich in prospects despite seeing many of its best prospects get scooped up in 2011. At 185 pounds prospects from Europe and Brazil dominant the rankings in a weight class normally seen as shallow in the US. In the highly competitive Brazilian MMA circuit, Team Nogueira welterweight Andre Santo (28-6) surged to the head of the pack in 2011 with a 6-2 record. After a two fight losing streak in the span of 16 days in May 2011, Santos finished the year with four straight wins. In October Santos may have secured his call up to a major US promotion with an impressive one night tournament victory at Bitetti Combat 10.Stateside Colorado welterweight Brandon Thatch (6-1) had his best year of his career in 2011. A hyped but relatively inactive prospect, Thatch stifled his regional competition with three straight first round finishes. At 26 years of age Thatch is a skilled striker who has rounded out his game at the famed Grudge Training Center.A former soccer player, Germany's Benjamin Brinsa (11-0) has quietly built a killer reputation under home country the Free Fight Championship. At 185 pounds Brinsa is aggressive striker with ten career stops in 11 pro fights. Only 22 years of age Brinsa's ground game and defense can improve but his hype as a five star prospect will likely lead him into international waters in the near future. The journey of British middleweight Tom Watson (16-4) has taken twists and turns across the UK MMA scene since 2006. A winner of 10 of his last 11 bouts Watson has carried England's torch into bouts with UFC, Pride and IFL veterans. The 27 year old Watson is a prospect already capable of headlining events but the allure of fighting on the UFC's next stop in the UK could draw the striker up to the major leagues of MMA. Lightweight and featherweight breakdown Bantamweight and flyweight breakdownMiddleweight and welterweight updated top 20 prospects

Posted in: mma, welterweight, prospect, year, brinsa

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 ULTMMA.com has released and updated its 2012 set of Mixed Martial Arts prospect rankings. The rankings cover a top 20 for each of the eight major MMA weight classes heavyweight through flyweight with a total of 160 unsigned prospects rated. 40 prospects from 125-155 pounds have been added with the remaining four weight classes updated by February 1.----Perhaps two of the deepest divisions in MMA, prospects in the featherweight and lightweight classes provide matchmakers in the UFC and Bellator plenty of worthy options. At 145 and 155 pounds the number potential prospects could easily hold a top 25 or top 40 ranking. The hype behind featherweight prospect Bubba Jenkins' (1-0) MMA debut began before his senior year wrestling at Arizona State University. Jenkins backed up his talk in March 2011 by capturing a NCAA championship for the Sun Devils at 157 pounds. Jenkins made a successful MMA debut in December 2011 and has the ability to fight at 145 or 155 pounds in 2012.South Korean featherweight prospect Doo Ho Choi (8-1) used a pair of dramatic upsets over Japanese MMA stalwarts to launch his stock in 2011. Choi, a four star prospect, knocked out former Deep lightweight champion Nobuhiro Obiya (12-5-1) in October with a highlight reel flying knee strike. The 20 year old Choi closed the year in December with a first round stoppage of ex-Pride star Mitsuhiro Ishida (20-8).One of the best stories of 2011 on the local MMA scene was lightweight prospect Joe Ellenberger's (12-1) return to action. In 2009 Ellenberger was a surefire four star prospect before injuries and a life threatening illness sidelined his career. At 26 years of age and with a 2-1 record in 2011, Ellenberger reclaims his status as a top 155 pound prospect to watch in 2012. French lightweight prospect Mansour Barnaoui (6-0) came out nowhere to make noise in his home country and draw the eyes of European talent scouts. Just 19 years old Barnaoui made his pro debut in February and submitted all three of opponents in a one night tournament. Barnaoui's final three opponents of a busy year held a combined record of 22-12. The young Frenchman's violent striking coupled his natural grappling ability make him worth of a four star grade with the potential to improve even more in 2012. Bantamweight and flyweight breakdown Lightweight and featherweight updated top 20 prospects

Posted in: pound, mma, prospect, year, choi

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 ULTMMA.com has released and updated its 2012 set of Mixed Martial Arts prospect rankings. The rankings cover a top 20 for each of the eight major MMA weight classes heavyweight through flyweight with a total of 160 unsigned prospects rated. 40 prospects from 125-135 pounds have been added with the remaining six weight classes updated by February 1. ---- A storyline in MMA to watch 2012 will be the continued emergence and recognition of fighters under 135 pounds. In December the UFC finally announced the addition of the flyweight division and booked a four man tournament to crown a champion.. On TV, bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz (19-1) and contender Urijah Faber (26-5) will coach the 15th installment of the Ultimate Fighter reality series set to air in April. 135 pound prospect Anthony Gutierrez (4-0) lived up to the hype on 2011. After a unheard of 17-3 amateur record Gutierrez was projected as a steady three star prospect when he turned pro in January 2011. In the cage Gutierrez waxed all four his pro opponents over the next 12 months and out of the cage he supplemented his training with trips to Team Alpha Male. The 21 year old Gutierrez is a surefire five star prospect at bantamweight with potential fights in the featherweight division as well. In the bantamweight division no prospect's stock has risen faster than New York's Aljamain Sterling (5-0). A two time NCAA Division II All American out of SUNY Cortland, Sterling cut his teeth as a member of Team Bombsquad and posted a 6-1 amateur mark before turning pro. The 22 year old Sterling made his pro MMA debut in April and finished the year with five wins versus the likes of Sean Santella (8-3-1) as well as Claudio Ledesma (5-2). 21 year old Brazilian Alexandre Pantoja Passidomo (9-2) had a quite 2011 filled with matches falling apart and injuries. A muay thai instructor at the renowned Nova Uniao gym, Passidomo is positioned for a run at the newly formed UFC 125 pound weight division. Passidomo is a violent flyweight with striking power on the feet and gifted skills on the floor. Out of stateside MMA hotbed New Mexico flyweight Frank Baca (13-1) had the best year of his career in 2011. Only 25 years old Baca has been a successful pro since 2008. Fighting out of Fit NHB, Baca is arguably the best American trained 125 pound prospect in MMA. Baca is a strong four star prospect in the flyweight division with the ability to move up and compete at bantamweight. Bantamweight and Flyweight updated top 20 prospects

Posted in: mma, prospect, division, year, flyweight

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When the UFC needs fresh talent on the low end of the scale, it’s no secret that one of the first places they look is Tachi Palace Fights.

Posted in: prospect, tachi, bantamweight prospect, tachi ’s, mining

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Two New York bred fighters will take center stage at the first Cage Fury Fighting Championships event of 2012. The Atlantic City, New Jersey base promotion has tabbed featherweight prospect Joey Gambino (8-0) and four time Bellator vet Kenny Foster (9-4) as the main event for CFFC 13. The nine fight card takes places on Saturday February 4 at the Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. The 23 year old Gambino made his pro debut in November 2009 and has won all eight of his pro fights via stoppage. A powerful wrestler Gambino supplements his training at the famed Tristar Gym. Foster, a two time Georgia state wrestling champion, trains out of New York's Team Bombsquad. The 25 year old Foster made waves with back to back to wins for Bellator but was released after a two fight losing skid at the end of 2011. Press release Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) is starting 2012 with a bang when CFFC 13: Gambino vs. Foster hits the boardwalk with two title bouts on February 4th, 2012 at the new Resorts in Atlantic City, New Jersey.The number two ranked prospect in the world and current CFFC Featherweight Champion, Joey Gambino will make his first title defense against Bellator veteran, Kenny Foster.Gambino is currently riding an eight fight win streak to begin his career and has finished all of his opponents. Training at one of Canada's premiere MMA gyms, the Tri-Star gym in Montreal, Gambino has learned under the tutelage of great trainers like Firas Zahabi and fighters like current UFC Champion, Georges St. Pierre. With a five round battle ahead of him, Gambino will expect nothing less than another finish.No stranger to high profile fights, Foster brings the experience of having competed in Bellator four times while compiling a record of 2-2. Overall Foster is 9-4 and has shown that he can win by strikes, submissions, and pace himself to dominate a decisive victory. Foster also trains with an experienced camp in Bombsquad where Ryan Ciotoli has helped the UFC careers of Jon Jones and Christian Morecraft.Foster will be looking to make a statement in his CFFC debut and put the first blemish on Gambino's record.The second title fight will feature CFFC veteran Sean Santella and rising prospect Bryan Lashomb. Santella last saw action when he battled the number two bantam weight prospect in the world and current CFFC champion, Aljamain Sterling in October of 2011. After five grueling rounds, Sterling was awarded the decision and Santella immediately earned the respect and admiration of the crowd. The AMA protégé will drop down to his natural flyweight class.Known as the "Angry Elf", Lashomb asked for this fight and comes in to the cage with a perfect 3-0 record including three stoppages. Although his opponent sports an 8-3-1 record, Lashomb has eight amateur fights under his belt with five victories. Coming from Virginia, Lashomb knows he will face a hostile crowd in Santella's backyard but he hopes to impress the locals and capture a title in his CFFC debut.The undercard will also be stacked as Philadelphia's own, Anthony "Cheesesteak" Morrison returns to CFFC! Compiling a record of 16-10, Morrison has fought in the WEC and faced tough competition like current number one contender Chad Mendes and UFC main stay Jim Miller back in 2007 for CFFC.Morrison will be looking to get back in the win column when he faces Jay Haas. Coming from Hanover, Pennsylvania, Haas is currently 10-7 and has won seven out of his last nine.In another intriguing match-up, Japan's Tateki Matsuda takes on rising New Jersey Prospect Claudio Ledesma. Matsuda has a record of 6-2 and was featured on the UFC's Ultimate Fighter 14 season and also has competed in Bellator.Ledesma comes into this fight with a 4-2 record and has only lost decisions to Aljamain Sterling and Jimmie Rivera. Daddis Fight Camp instructor and jiu-jistu purple belt, Jackson Galka, will be making his CFFC debut as well. The rest of the card will also feature the returns of CFFC veterans Bradley Desir, who was recently named rookie of the year by www.thefightnerd.com, Michael Wade, and Mike Medrano.The full card will be announced soon. Limited tickets are available at all TickerMaster outlets.About Cage Fury Fighting Championship: Cage Fury Fighting Championships (www.cffc.tv) is a pioneer in bringing prominent and elite MMA talent to the east coast. With a successful return in 2011 headed by President Rob Haydak Jr. and Vice President Joe Stant, the organization has continued to help launch the careers of several MMA stars including current UFC star and current CFFC lightweight champion John Cholish and rising Strikeforce star Nah-shon Burrell. CFFC Champions include UFC veteran Greg Soto (welterweight), Aljamain Sterling (bantamweight) and Joey Gambino (featherweight) who are both currently ranked as the #2 prospects in the world in their respective weight classes.

Posted in: ufc, fight, prospect, gambino, cffc

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COMMERCE, Calif. -- Numerous last-minute lineup changes took their toll on BAMMA USA’s “BadBeat 4” card Friday night at the Commerce Casino.

Posted in: usa, prospect, bamma, commerce, ruediger

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Undefeated prospect C.J. Keith has signed a deal with the UFC and will compete for the promotion beginning in 2012.

Posted in: ufc, deal, prospect, keith, cj

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Spider Bites: MMA pound for pound king Anderson Silva reacts to Jon Jones UFC 128 win & remains mum on possibility of super-fightsIn March, ULTMMA.com had the unique opportunity to watch the UFC 128 pay per view with current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (31-4). Silva's perspective on Jon Jones (15-1) championship performance versus Mauricio Rua (20-6) provided great insight into how fighters view their peers. NBA dreams and MMA heavyweight aspirations- an interview with Walt HarrisCollege basketball player turned MMA heavyweight prospect Walt Harris (7-2) finished 2011 with three first round wins. In the always fragile state of the MMA heavyweight division, Harris' entry into the sport makes him a big man prospect to watch in 2012. Loyalty and potential - An interview with bantamweight prospect Mike EastonBantamweight prospect Mike Easton's (11-1) flirtation with the major leagues of MMA was fulfilled in 2011. Easton signed with the UFC in July and the 27 year old won his debut with the promotion in October. NWCA All-Star Classic notebook: Anthony Robles interview, C.B Dollaway update and other college wrestling newsThe NWCA All-Star Classic is the premier preseason college wrestling event. Among notable amateur wrestlers that have competed at the All-Star Classic over past few years include MMA notables Ben Askren, Phil Davis and "King Mo" Muhammed Lawal. "So I was Scared." Dos Santos and MMA Own Their On Fox MomentThe UFC's television with the Fox broadcasting company was by far the biggest story of 2011. The seven year deal began in November with a card in California, where heavyweight Junior Dos Santos (14-1) became first UFC star on network television. ULTMMA Podcast Episode 5: A interview with Ultimate Fighter 14 star John Dodson of Jackson's MMAUndiscovered bantamweight star John Dodson (12-5) ran through the season 14 of the Ultimate Fighter. A longtime member of Jackson's MMA in New Mexico, Dodson gave a very candid interview in episode five of the ULTMMA Show. 2011 NCAA champion Bubba Jenkins set to make MMA debut at Tachi Palace Fights 11Several months after capturing a NCAA championship for the Arizona State Sun Devils, prospect Bubba Jenkins (1-0) booked his MMA debut. ULTMMA.com broke the news of Jenkins, a four star prospect, first fight for California's Tachi Palace Fights. From barnyard Toughman scraps to the Bellator cage- An interview with Kenny FosterAfter Kenny Foster's (9-4) upset of decorated NCAA wrestler Eric Larkin (3-1) the New Yorker's story came to light as he advanced in the Bellator 145 pound tournament. A key member of the Team Bomb Squad gym Foster's back story into the Bellator cage goes slightly off the beaten path. Who is Jacob DeVree? Arizona featherweight is ready for Bellator tourney spotlightA seven fight win streak earned Arizona featherweight Jacob DeVree a slot in Bellator's summer tournament. The 24 year old out of Power MMA remains one of the rising stars to come out of the Gilbert, AZ based gym.Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission suspends 11 fighters and one trainer in phony blood work scandalIn one of the more odd regional MMA stories of 2011 a nearly dozen Georgia amateur and pro fighters were busted for falsified blood work. The scandal set a dangerous precedent for the already under regulated game of performance enhancing drugs on the regional MMA scene across the United States. A breakdown of the ULTMMA50 2011 & a look at the 50 best unsigned prospects in MMAThe 2011 edition of the ULTMMA50 was published in April 2011. The top 50 snap shot in time takes a look at which unsigned prospects are inches away from the big show as well as which fighters have the potential to graduate to the national scene one day.

Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, prospect, interview

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Light heavyweight prospect Alexander Gustafsson talks about his win over MMA veteran Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 141.

Posted in: ufc, fight, prospect, gustafsson, alexander

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Light Heavyweight veteran Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko, who will square off with rising prospect Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 141, discusses his background in the sport of mixed martial arts, as well as it's impact on his life...

Posted in: prospect, matyushenko, vladimir, vladimir matyushenko, janitor matyushenko

Read the full article at Low Kick

What happens when the dream fades for one of the top up-and-coming prospects in mixed martial arts?

Posted in: dream, prospect, dream fades, upandcoming prospects, fade

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Photo by MMANewsCanada.com Name: Josh Hill Nickname: -- Age: 25 Height: 5' 6" Location: Stoney Creek, Ontario With an ever-growing fanbase that supports MMA, even at the local level, it's no surprise that Canada consistently produces quality talent. Established regional MMA promotions and an abundance of training facilities allow the region's aspiring UFC fighters to train and compete at a high level, and the UFC has taken notice by plucking many of the talented fighters in the region to fill out their event rosters. Hailing from Stoney Creek, Ontario, 25-year-old bantamweight prospect Josh Hill (7-0) could be the next prospect in Canada's regional scene to get a phone call from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. Over the course of only two years in the sport, Hill has compiled seven wins and no losses, maintaining an unblemished record while defeating notables Federico Lopez, Darin Cooley, and Diego Wilson in 2011. His success is directly rooted to his work ethic and well-rounded skills. He possesses a speedy Muay Thai striking game, a strong physique, excellent conditioning, and powerful wrestling. It's quite the package in comparison to some of the other prospects we've already covered on the countdown. While he lacks the submission skills to threaten consistently on the mat, he more than makes up for it with brutalizing ground and pound and a relentless pace. The most obvious flaw in his skill-set is his lacking power. In seven bouts, he's finished only three of his opponents, two by way of technical knockout. His grappling prowess on the ground isn't of the highest regard either, but he has shown a propensity to work toward full mount versus sitting in guard and trying to batter his opposition. That's a plus, especially since he possesses much better cardio than most of his competition. Added with his strength, Hill can be a juggernaut on the ground in the late rounds of a fight. Hill trains out of Iron Tiger Muay Thai in Stoney Creek , which houses 2011 Scouting Report prospects Denis Puric and Adrian Wooley alongside Bellator veteran William Romero. Wooley, who was a Canadian national wrestler, is a significant asset to Hill, and he's likely one of the main reasons why Hill is so effective in the takedown department. If Hill can find a way to develop some power and a threatening submission game, it's hard to see Hill fighting in the regional scene for much longer. A couple of recognizable wins on Hill's record in 2012 will easily get him the bigger contract he deserves. Video footage of Josh Hill after the jump... FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight #1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - Josh Hill#5 - Fabiano Fernandes#6 - Claudio Ledesma#7 - Sirwan Kakai#8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight #1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - Josh Hill Profile Josh HIll vs. Dennis GagneW-1 MMA 4 - March 20, 2010 Josh Hill vs. Randy Turner .Wreck MMA Fight for the Troops - December 12, 2009

Posted in: ufc, mma, prospect, josh, hill

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South Florida MMA promotion the Championship Fighting Alliance closed out a busy 2011 with their fifth event of the year and the finals of their lightweight tournament. CFA 4 was held at the Bank United Center in Coral Gables. In the main event Yosilandy Izuierdo (6-0) shutdown Patrick Cenoble (8-1) in the CFA lightweight finals. The Izuierdo-Cenoble fight turned into a frantic nearly three minute affair. Izuierdo pounded out Cenoble at the 2:54 mark of round one for the victory. The win for Izuierdo caps a 2011 that saw him pick up four wins and capture the CFA 155 round tournament title. The 27 year old Izuierdo is a lightweight prospect to watch in 2012 and will remain challenged with the level of regional lightweights that could test him on the Florida scene. With seven finishes in eight career pro wins Cenoble may be the top prospect to come out f the eight man CFA tournament field. At 22 years old Cenoble booked his ticket to the finals with impressive stoppage victories over Georgia prospect Jerrid Burke (4-1) and Ohio prospect Trent McCown (4-1).The heavy handed Cenoble's break neck fighting style will earn him bookings with Florida promoters and his development as a complete fighter will monitored in 2012. Championship Fighting Alliance 4 resultsCoral Gables, FL*Yosilandy Izuierdo def. *Patrick Cenoble by TKO 2:54 R1Luis Palomino def. Charles Bennett by KO 3:59 R1*Danny Chaves def. Humberto Rodriguez by Unanimous DecisionJordan Parsons def. James Cianci by Unanimous Decision*Mike Rio def. John Ortolani by TKO 4:53 R1Jerrid Burke def. Allen Arzeno by Split DecisionArriel Gandulla def. Oscar Delgado by TKO 2:54 R1Javier Baez def. Gabriel Verona by Unanimous DecisionJosh Mercado def. Jimmy Alexander by Submission Guillotine Choke 3:10 R1* Prospects to watch

Posted in: prospect, florida, cfa, cenoble, izuierdo

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Editor - Leland Roling Contributor/Creative Director: smoogy2012 World MMA Scouting Report logo by smoogy It's that time of year once again, fight fans. The 2012 edition of the World MMA Scouting Report will kick off in just a few hours, spotlighting ten prospects from around the world in each of the eight different weight classes. Last year's report proved to be a huge success with over 50% of the prospects on the report signing with a major mixed martial arts promotion in the following year. Even to this day, many of the prospects featured on the 2011 World MMA Scouting Report who weren't signed are now seeing interest, and we hope the same interest will come to this year's crop of fighters. Unlike last year's report, we've been planning this year's edition for five months, combing through a countless list of prospects hidden in the depths of the sport's regional landscape. Unexpected moments of excitement weren't common during the endless nights of daunting research, but the few moments in which we watched greatness overcome adversity made it all worth our while. Here's a little teaser featuring a few of those moments. Get excited! In order to make things easier and more focused, we've narrowed the criteria for inclusion on the report this year. Below is a list of the factors we outlined from the beginning of our research: Limiting Factors Prominence: Similar to last year, prospects are limited to unsigned fighters. Fighters in the UFC, Bellator, and DREAM were not considered. There is one exception to the rule however. Bellator has signed prospects to one-fight deals to fill out undercards. Those fighters are still under consideration until confirmed as tournament fighters or signed to long-term deals. Age: Less than or equal to 30 years of age. Exclusivity: All prospects are exclusive to this year's report. Prospects from previous year's reports cannot be included. Only fighters profiled in the end report honorable mention post are exempt. Our ranking methodology is fairly straightforward. The prospects who have proven track records and possess the skills to make an immediate impact in a top-tier mixed martial arts organization top our divisional rankings. Strength of record is a factor among the top fighters while potential is a more significant factor among prospects in the middle or near the bottom. A fighter's environment, training partners, and background all come into play as well, but nothing is as important as what we see inside the cage. Finally, this year's report will have some additions to the format. Last year was the inaugural edition, so there wasn't any room for features. This year, we will add two new features to the report: Honorable Mentions and 2011 World MMA Scouting Report Recaps, putting us at a grand total of 88 articles in 42 days. 2012 World MMA Scouting Report Structure Profiles: Eight weight classes will be featured. Flyweight was a late addition since the UFC just announced its inclusion in their ranks. It will be featured after the heavyweight division concludes. Every day, two profiles will be posted, usually at 8 AM ET and 8 PM ET. Times should be treated as tentative. 2011 World MMA Scouting Report Recaps: These pieces will recap last year's report. Where are they today? What are they doing now? They will be posted alongside their respective division after the countdown of the division has concluded. Honorable Mentions: At the conclusion of the report, we will publish a post outlining 8 fighters, one from each weight class, as honorable mentions. These fighters are still eligible for next year's report. Readers can find all of the 2012 World MMA Scouting Report posts under our new section here. Last year's report profiles will eventually be added to the section. Follow me at @lelandroling on Twitter for updates. Enjoy!

Posted in: world, fighter, prospect, year, report

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SAN DIEGO - In his first Strikeforce fight since a disappointing draw with Keith Jardine, Gegard Mousasi proved a class above top light-heavyweight prospect Ovince St. Preux. Mousasi used timely takedowns and effective ground and pound to earn a unanimous-decision victory. The bout was part of the Showtime-televised main card of "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal," which took place at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.

Posted in: strikeforce, prospect, mousasi, strikeforce fight, unanimousdecision victory

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The third annual ULTMMA.com MMA Prospect and Local Promotion nominees are set. For the 2011 edition ULTMMA.com awards it will be the first time a female MMA prospect and a UK MMA promotion are up for the honors.In 2009 Strikeforce fighter Tyron Woodley (@TWooodley ) and Texas based promotion Shark Fights (@SharkFights ) captured the awards. In 2010 UFC light heavyweight Phil Davis (@PhilMrWonderful ) and California's Tachi Palace Fights (@Tachipalace ) took home the honors. 2011 ULTMMA.com Prospect of the yearDerek Brunson @DerekBrunsonMMAEduardo Dantas @Dudantas22Douglas Lima @PhenomLimaJordan Mein @fightingmeinsRonda Rousey @RondaRouseyChris Weidman @ChrisWeidmanUFC2011 ULTMMA.com Local Promotion of the yearCage Warriors @CageWarriorsLocked in the Cage @lockedinthecageRing of Combat @ringofcombatTachi Palace Fights @TachipalaceTitan FC @TitanFighting

Posted in: promotion, prospect, ultmmacom, mma prospect, promotion nominees

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Matthew Roth: The new deal with Showtime has finally been announced but details are still spotty. What we know is that Zuffa is planning 6-8 Strikeforce cards and that the HW's will be chopped following the Grand Prix. This is a two part question. First: The fact that Zuffa is planning 40 shows in 2012, will we see events not get marketing because of lack of time? Secondly: With the current depth in every division, can Strikeforce survive without an influx of new talent? T.P. Grant: Ultimately I think this will be good for MMA fans. Zuffa has been the most successful promotion on the business side of things, so I don't think they would attempt to do 40 shows in one year if they didn't have serious data to show it would work. And if it does fail, I also doubt they haven't thought of that a planed accordingly. I think events are going to serve as marketing also, get fights on free TV. Get people to watch one card and get them interested in the next card and also Fox has stated that their marketing resources will be also brought into play. It has become cliche at this point to say something will function like the WEC, but that is how I feel Strikeforce will function. Prospects, projects and a few veteran gatekeepers, but I feel like Zuffa will try to keep putting fighters they cut from the UFC to a relative minimum. I don't think it will function so much like a minor league as it will be a developmental league. Of course this is strictly for men's division. Zuffa does nothing half way, now that it is a Zuffa product I fully expect them to try to turn Strikeforce into the home of the best female fighters in the world. And this again is a good thing for MMA fans because those girls can scrap. Tim Burke: Who said Strikeforce was staying? Tim said Strikeforce was staying! Anyway, I think that by now, especially with TV events, it's going to be promoted like Vince McMahon promoted the WWF in the 80's - the fighters won't matter, what will draw a crowd is just the three letters - UFC. Sure, some guys will be more popular than others, but the promotion itself is what will get people to watch, because they know they're going to get quality fights no matter what. I think a better question would be - can they always deliver quality fights with this many cards?In terms of the second part, I still believe you'll see UFC guys moving over there. Or instead of loading up on prospects in the UFC, guys like Michael Kuiper and Ryan Jimmo will be debut in Strikeforce instead of the UFC. It can definitely be a viable second promotion that doesn't need to rely on being a feeder for the UFC. More after the jump... SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal Ben Thapa: Forty shows, Dana? Won't you think of Burt Watson and his tired dogs? On a more serious note, we are discussing the potential of Strikeforce to build young prospects. Both incarnations of Strikeforce pre- and post-Zuffa buyout have an iffy track record of actually building prospects. Ronda Rousey is probably their biggest success and that may be sheer luck in having a dynamic fighter who absolutely obliterates her opponents and gives pretty kickin' interviews. Gilbert Melendez, Luke Rockhold and Tyrone Woodley are their other notable successes and honestly, none of these talented young athletes have been successful at catching the attention of the big audiences like Nick Diaz or the eternal MMA will'o'wisp that is Gina Carano. What Strikeforce needs is Paul Heyman. Well... maybe not Heyman himself, but someone who is willing to come up with storylines that fans can latch onto readily and embrace. We know Gil is a little bit more brash, impulsive and hotheaded than his generally demure interviews show. I suspect Rockhold has some kookiness behind that bland exterior and ring girl technique videos. Woodley is a golden boy in the mold of GSP. Despite the best efforts of Genghis Cohn and Co., people still don't know Masvidal is not to be slept on. The opportunities for hustle are there with Strikeforce. They just need someone dynamic to take advantage of them - and Scott Coker is not that man. Let him handle the backstage stuff and find a more flamboyant public face to galvanize the slowly-creeping-into-oblivion Strikeforce brand. As for the new talent, I cannot say Strikeforce has been particularly good or particularly bad. This is an organization that gave us three Bowling/Voelker fights. At the same time, they snatched up prospects like Woodley, Rockhold and a few others like Gian Villante, who didn't immediately catch on fire as expected. Blue chip prospects like Jon Jones are usually easy to find and sign for the UFC. Finding the mid-major prospects, the ones who aren't so enormously physically talented that they can destroy any opposition, is harder and requires more patience. The UFC doesn't have that kind of patience for the ups and downs of those fighters. The WEC did. Can the hybrid of the two companies cultivate that WEC-style attitude in a different organization? I doubt it, but I can hope. David Castillo: You'll be wrong eventually Tim. I think Zuffa is using this as a bit of an experiment: how will this wider network at their disposal combine together to create an even meaner Zuffa machine? With the concentration on women's MMA, I wonder if they're not looking to attempt a cash-in on the biggest female mixed martial arts fight ala UFC 48, I mean, WEC Aldo vs. Faber. To what degree can female MMA sustain itself when the gate is tallied, and the buyrates come in? I thought Nason was crazy for a second with his post the other day, but then it made perfect sense: like the WEC, Zuffa was looking to corner the market on the lighter weights. They've already done that. With female MMA, here's yet another market to potentially own. This may seem like a gamble on the surface until you consider that other organizations with the funds to take over something like female MMA, and do it on a stage like Showtime's don't have access as long as Zuffa still has a deal with them. It's Zuffa doing what they've always done: maintaining market dominance. For how long? Who knows. As to the broader point about the lack of any influx of talent can always be balanced out by bringing over UFC "rejects". And this could always be used as a better barometer for a prospect's abilities in Strikeforce. Not that I want to see the Jardine's of the world fight for their titles, but I have to think Jardine vs. Rockhold is an exception and not the rule. Plus, to be fair, 185 is one of the thinnest divisions in MMA, the UFC included. Tim Burke: You're crazy if you think they did this just for women's MMA. Brent Brookhouse: To the original questions. What Strikeforce events get the big marketing push now? Even the Grand Prix died down in terms of the overall push once Zuffa took over. They don't have the time or resources and even if they put a lot of promotional push behind the events, something like Rockhold/Jardine or Rockhold/Kennedy or Rockhold/Jacare isn't going to sell. Nor is anyone at 205. Or anyone at 170. Or anyone at 155 really. I mean, they just don't have guys who are superstars and they don't seem like they have a lot of guys with the intangibles to become superstars. And then the depth gets in the way to where you lack one of the critical elements to creating superstars. Rockhold has a good look, he's an exciting fighter and he's just got a bit more of an "it factor" than most of the Strikeforce roster. But there's no stars for him to beat, no one that creates a buzz before and after a fight. 205 is a mess unless King Mo can get the title back, but even then...who is there for him to fight to really create much of a buzz? Mousasi again? That's not going to get anyone excited. OSP? Nah. ..etc. Melendez gets past Masvidal and then what? I get Dana, Coker and Company not wanting to admit that Strikeforce is a second tier promotion, but that's exactly what it is. And they're not going to dump time and energy into promoting these shows with the set-up they currently have. Yeah, maybe they can fix the depth with smart signings. But it's always going to be an issue that they're at a stage where they don't have marketable stars to build off of. There's no Liddell for someone to come knock out and become a star, or a Couture for someone to beat and gain legitimacy. It's going to be a few years of "I think I heard of that guy and he's fighting who? Never heard of him." Brent Brookhouse: The idea that this has anything to do with women's MMA is crazy. Yeah, they want a promotion where they can sign people and hold on to them and keep another promotion for having something unique and "important." But Dana was really clear that depth is a big issue. He joked about having the 135 class "and Cyborg" because thereis no real 145 class. They keep toying with this idea of just smooshing everyone into a single class just to force some compelling fights. And if I can be honest here for a second, when you have Tate in public whining about Rousey wanting a title shot, it's really obnoxious. How many fights do people really have an interest in seeing? Rousey vs. Tate is probably the biggest women's fight on earth right now (aside from either against Cyborg or a Gina gimmick fight) and Tate is worried about credible title shots. Shut up and fight. And, I'm sorry, but too heavy of a focus on women's MMA would be death by poor ratings. Tim Burke: Not everything needs to be compared to the UFC though. This is about carving out a niche in the buffer zone between the UFC and the Ring of Combats of the world. Showtime will make money without superstars if none develop (as will Zuffa), but it's way too early to say "it's gonna fail, no one wants to watch". They don't need a Liddell/Couture/etc. They just need to put on good fights. Brent Brookhouse: It's not about if it fails or succeeds. It's about putting it in a realistic space. There's only so much value that a big promotional push for Strikeforce shows would make anyway, so for now it's pointless to focus on a huge marketing push. Creating superstars generally requires superstars for them to get a rub from. What superstars with any drawing power were created in WEC? Faber and...Faber. Aldo, Cruz, Henderson, Cerrone. Those guys couldn't draw and even Aldo's minor star required Faber to get some shine. What superstars did Strikeforce create with any drawing power? Diaz I guess, but he wasn't exactly blowing the roof off the Showtime ratings. Coming in and beating Penn did more for him than anything he did beating Cyborg or Dailey..etc. Same with Bellator. Lombard is running around beating up bums and no one cares. Alvarez wasn't a special draw or anything. Their space can be as a place with decent fights and some good fighters and good prospects. But people have to understand that that is what it is, it's nothing more. KJ Gould: I'd ignore almost everything Dana said the other day. This is a B show, and that's not a bad thing. Fighters that Zuffa like who can't cut it in the UFC get somewhere to develop that's not some rank amateur regional show. There's no way Strikeforce is sustainable with the current roster and you can expect cut UFC talent to end up there providing they were cut on 'good terms' - which basically means didn't do anything to piss Dana White off. Strikeforce is the perfect stop gap between the regional level and the UFC for those that need a little longer to develop. Not all prospects will be like Jon Jones, but that doesn't mean these prospects can't come into their own if given the time to do so in a promotion that's more competitive than the regionals, but not a sink or swim shark tank like the UFC can often be. Don't forget, Strikeforce offer the fighter insurance like UFC does and there is a definite path of career progression for fighters that find success. Bellator may be more appealing for short term money, but even its champions have complained about the lack of activity they've seen while stuck with the promotion, and with an absurd champions clause a fighter's ceiling is going to remain low. Strikeforce can be a viable alternative to Bellator for prospects who aren't ready for the UFC.

Posted in: ufc, fight, strikeforce, prospect, zuffa

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

At the start of 2011, Jon Jones was a fast-rising prospect with a few more questions surrounding him than answers.

Posted in: jone, prospect, machida, jones machida, fastrising prospect

Read the full article at Sherdog

You all know the feeling: even with a UFC, Strikeforce, or Bellator event on practically every week, you just can’t get enough MMA. Three days without big, burly men beating dozens of IQ points from each other is simply more than you can handle. So, in a bout of inspiration, you turn to the smaller promotions, but find yourself inundated with choices and no way to tell which are worth your while. You don’t want to waste hours hunting down a stream (legal, of course) only to find out that it’s YAMMA all over again. That’s where we come in. "Best of the Rest" is a series intended to highlight the events, fights, and fighters that would ordinarily slip under the radar. Exciting prospects will get the attention they deserve and matchmaking gems will be unearthed from beneath the rubble of mediocrity. In this, the inaugural installment, we’re going to take a look at what may be the best lightweight prospect showdown you’ll see all year -- the co-main event of M-1 Global’s Dec. 9 event: Alexander "Tiger" Sarnavskiy vs. Francisco "Massaranduba" Drinaldo. Alexander Sarnavskiy (16-0) Fights out of: RusFighters Sports Club Age: 22 Titles: None Major Wins: None Finishes: 13 (5 KO, 8 SUB) Barely old enough to drink in the U.S., power in his hands, a solid grappling game to back it up, and Alexander Shlemenko honing his striking. What’s not to love? Russia’s Alexander Sarnavskiy is regarded as one of the biggest prospects in Russia, even moreso now that Magomed Shikshabekov has been out of commission for the past year. At 5’11", he’s one of the taller lightweights, and has the jab and the kicks to take full advantage of this. His striking is occasionally wild when he’s flurrying, but he’s got effective straight punches and has shown his instructor’s penchant for (and skill with) the spinning backfist. While he primarily uses his considerable kickboxing acumen, his eight submission wins prove that he’s far from helpless on the ground. While he hasn’t had the opportunity to face the sort of powerful, grinding wrestlers so endemic to the American circuit, his takedown defense has proven solid, and his ability to take the back in short order is quite impressive. While his level of competition is about what you’d expect from someone who has spent the majority of his career under the M-1 banner, he has yet to falter in the ring, and remains a highly-entertaining fighter with great things ahead of him. Alexander at work: VS. Francisco Drinaldo (10-1) Fights out of: Constrictor Team Age: 31 Titles: Jungle Fight Lightweight Champion Major Wins: Luiz Firmino, Derrick Burnsed, Adriano Martins Finishes: 7 (4 KO, 3 SUB) Were it not for some ill fortune a year ago, "Massaranduba" could have been in the Octagon by now. At Jungle Fight 22, he faced off against eventual Jungle Fight champion and current UFC veteran Yuri "Marajó" Alcantara, and after controlling the majority of their bout, was submitted via armbar in the second round. Alcantara was last seen dominating Felipe Arantes, and scored one of the more brutal knockouts in WEC history beforehand by absolutely obliterating Ricardo Lamas in a single blow. Undaunted, Drinaldo proceeded to win four straight, finally nabbing the coveted Jungle Fight title by snapping the six-fight winning streak of Adriano Martins. Training alongside the likes of Paulo Thiago and highly-touted featherweight prospect Renato "Moicano" Carneiro, Drinaldo has cemented himself as one of the finest prospects in Brazil. Throughout his career, Drinaldo has demonstrated a very well-rounded game, being the only man to submit PRIDE veteran Luiz Firmino and the only man to knock out Team Alpha Male’s Derrick Burnsed, accomplishing both in spectacular fashion. As with Sarnavskiy, he has yet to face the stifling wrestlers that have so vexed teammate Thiago, but he's consistently proven himself against seasoned veterans. Drinaldo at work: Why you should care: Not only is this practically guaranteed to be a spectacular fight, but odds are you’re going to be seeing one of these guys in the UFC in the near future. Both are fantastic fighters whose styles match up well against one another. Who takes it: While Sarnavskiy has more fights, Drinaldo’s schedule has been significantly tougher. Sarnavskiy is still extremely young and has plenty of time to develop into the monster he can be, but for now, I’m leaning towards the man who’s faced the stiffer competition. Remember to catch this and other excellent bouts this Friday on Showtime. SBN coverage of M-1 Challenge 30

Posted in: fight, prospect, alexander, sarnavskiy, drinaldo

Read the full article at MMA Mania

A pair of MMA prospects from Minnesota took center stage at SEG Downtown Showdown in Minneapolis. In the main event one time Strikeforce fighter Eric Wisely (19-6) took on former Minnesota State wrestler Brandon Girtz (8-2). Wisely came into the fight in search of a win that would earn him a second chance at the big leagues while Girtz needed a signature win to make is fight resume pop. Girtz came out the aggressor and brought the fight to the floor with a big takedown in round one. Off his back it was Wisely who unleashed the most offense. Wisely racked up points with strikes from the bottom and submission attempts while Girtz was stuck in neutral in the top position. In the second frame Wisely and Girtz opened up more on the feet. Both men landed solid punches before Girtz brought the fight back to the floor. On the ground Girtz showed off his strength as he powered out of a Wisely triangle choke attempt before the fight would abruptly end of the feet. A right high headkick from Wisely was blocked by Girtz but the impact of the strike shattered Girtz. Moments later Girtz was forced to submit due to a broken arm. The loss snapped a three fight winning streak for Girtz. A 26 year old lightweight prospect Girtz remains a fighter to watch. Now training with the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, Girtz is due for another run at a UFC or Strikeforce vet in one to two more fights. The win gives Wisely wins in six of his last seven bouts. The 27 year old from Iowa will most likely get his second chance in Strikeforce or the UFC in 2012. On the undercard featherweight prospect Mike Richman (11-1) picked up a victory over Iowa's Morgan Sickinger (8-5). Richman earned a unanimous decision with a strong boxing style and sprawl that halted most of Sickinger's takedown attempts. At 145 pound Richman is approaching rarified air with an 11-1 mark on the local scene. A five star prospect at featherweight Richman remains on course for a big league call up in 2012. Richman may or may not a quality win over a fellow prospect or UFC veteran to secure his spot but a big name win could be the final push the 26 year old needs. In the ULTMMA.com prospect rankings Richman is a top three level featherweight and sits in the top forty in the LUTMMA50; a pound for pound listing of unsigned MMA prospects. SEG Downtown Showdown resultsMinneapolis, MNEric Wisely def. *Brandon Girtz by submission injury (broken arm) 4:26 R2*Mike Richman def. Morgan Sickinger by unanimous decision Lloyd McKinney def. Erik Vo by unanimous decision James Clark def. Jay Paulson by TKO 1:59 R1Corwin Nichols def. Jake Wyman by submission rear naked choke 0:58 R1Nick Compton def. Bruce Johnson by submission guillotine choke at 1:46 R1Brandon Buchholz def. Panda Nguyen by submission triangle choke 1:54 R2*Prospects to watch

Posted in: fight, submission, prospect, girtz, richman

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Massachusetts fighter Saul Almeida (11-1) continued his hot 2011 with another hand raising performance on the undercard of CES MMA Undisputed. The nine bout card was held at the Twin Rivers Event Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island. In the main event local middleweights dueled with Todd Chattelle (10-6) choking out Brett Oteri (8-3) midway through the first. The top prospect at CES MMA, Almeida was booked versus New Jersey nomad Kevin Roddy (10-14-1). A scrapper from Pellegrino MMA, Roddy made his best efforts to hang with Almeida for 15 minutes. In round one Almeida, a former Bellator open tryout winner, showed his improved hands and rocked Roddy with a smooth left hand combo. The latter half of the opening round saw Almeida land a trip takedown before Roddy was able to reverse position. In round two Almeida scored with two more takedowns that kept Roddy off balance. On the ground Almeida searched for a guillotine choke while Roddy was aggressive from the bottom with elbow strikes. Almeida out grappled Roddy in the final round. Work in the clinch and takedowns gave the third round to Almeida on points. The fight closed with Almeida taking Roddy's back with a few last second rear naked choke attempts. In a closer than expected fight Almeida earned a split decision over Roddy. Almeida has now won four in a row; all by decision. Only 22 years old Almeida is a five star prospect at 145 pounds. The 6'1 featherweight has passed nearly all his tests on the local scene. A slot in an upcoming Bellator tournament or a spot on the UFC's featherweight roster may be how Almeida spends the first half of 2012. Almeida's big league potential and work with Team Blackhouse in California has him ranked as the number 10 prospect in the 2011 edition of the ULTMMA50; a pound for pound listing of the top 50 prospects in MMA. CES MMA Undisputed resultsLincoln, RITodd Chattelle def. Brett Oteri by Technical Submission Guillotine 3:18 R1Mike Campbell def. Jeff Anderson by TKO (Punches) 2:53 R2Saul Almeida def. Kevin Roddy by Spilt Decision Robbie Leroux def. Shaun Marmas by Unanimous Decision Eric Bedard def. Marcelo Rocha-Pereira by Submission Kimura 0:57 R2Cliff Moulton def. Dinis Paiva Jr. by Disqualification (Illegal Knee) 4:25 R1Keith Jeffrey def. Kevin Horowitz by Submission Rear Naked Choke 1:45 R3Rob Costa def .Gilvan Santos by Split Decision Vincent Ramirez def. Keith Ferreira by TKO (Punches) 2:13 R2

Posted in: mma, round, prospect, almeida, roddy

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Undefeated Russian prospect Khabib Nurmagomedov has signed a six-fight deal to compete in the UFC's lightweight division.

Posted in: ufc, prospect, sixfight deal, nurmagomedov, khabib

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

The mixed martial arts debut of Bubba Jenkins (0-0) swerved slightly. On Monday afternoon from his twitter account Jenkins announced that he will have a new opponent at Tachi Palace Fights 11. Jenkins tweeted "so it begins..pro debut still on for dec 2nd in LeeMore Cali, new opponent Jason Williams, dnt bother lookin for him, there's a million JW"Tachi Palace Fights 11 is set for Friday December 2nd in Lemoore, California. Jenkins' original opponent Chris Huerta (0-0) had to bow out of the fight with a stomach injury. Jason Williams (0-0) is a two time state runner up out of Clovis, CA and also wrestled collegiately at Iowa Central junior college. The 2011 NCAA champion at 157 pounds Jenkins is one of the more highly touted prospect to come into MMA. An All American for Penn State University in 2008, Jenkins transferred to Arizona State University prior to his senior season. Jenkins planned move to MMA also began before his final college season.The 23 year old Jenkins trains out of the famed American Top Team gym in Florida. A four star MMA prospect at 155 pounds Jenkins could possibly move down to featherweight after a few test runs on the local scene. As a lightweight prospect on potential alone Jenkins is ranked at number 46 in the ULTMMA50; a pound for pound listing of the top 50 prospects in MMA.

Posted in: fight, pound, mma, prospect, jenkin

Read the full article at UltMMA

A pivotal featherweight scrap between hot prospects Dustin Poirier and Erik Koch will go down at UFC 143, promotion officials announced Tuesday.

Posted in: ufc, prospect, erik koch, bowl weekend, featherweight scrap

Read the full article at Sherdog

Bellator Fighting Championships has a valuable commodity in Alexandre Bezerra, a 24-year-old featherweight with star potential

Posted in: bellator, prospect, bezerra, prospect bezerra, alexandre bezerra

Read the full article at Sherdog

An injury has forced welterweight top prospect Rory MacDonald out of his UFC 140 bout against Brian Ebersole. Claude Patrick has stepped in as a replacement.

Posted in: ufc, prospect, macdonald, patrick, ebersole

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Bellator Fighting Championships continues their strategy of signing top global talent, and Attila Vegh (24-4-2...

Posted in: bellator, prospect, championship, vegh, attila

Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports

Welterweight prospect Rory MacDonald has suffered an unspecified injury and will be unable to compete at UFC 140, promotion officials announced Tuesday evening.

Posted in: ufc, prospect, macdonald, official, patrick

Read the full article at Sherdog

Bellator Fighting Championships continues their strategy of signing top global talent, and Attila Vegh is the company's newest employee. MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the signing, which was first reported by Sherdog.com. An opponent and date for his first appearance for the promotion have yet to be determined, but Vegh is expected to take part in an upcoming light heavyweight tournament.

Posted in: bellator, prospect, vegh, attila vegh, attila

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

Up-and-coming Brazilian featherweight Alexandre Bezerra will look to improve to 4-0 under the Bellator Fighting Championships banner when he meets two-time UFC competitor Douglas Evans at Bellator 57.

Posted in: bellator, prospect, featherweight, championships banner, bezerra

Read the full article at Sherdog

A lightweight bout between top prospect Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra and UFC vet Doug Evans has been added to next week's Bellator 57 event. MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the booking with event sources. Bellator 57 takes place Nov. 12 at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada.

Posted in: bellator, prospect, casino rama, popo, doug

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

After hitting a rough patch in the lightweight division, the Brazilian prospect is expected to move down in weight and compete in the 145-pound ranks in 2012.

Posted in: prospect, division, weight, charles oliveira, brazilian prospect

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Matt Mitrione appreciates being called 'the next big thing in the UFC', but he's heard that type of praise heaped on a lot of fighters who didn't live up to their potential.

Posted in: fighter, mitrione, prospect, prospect mitrione, praise

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Legacy Fighting Championships has secured another solid prospect. Company officials today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com that the Texas-based promotion has signed "The Ultimate Fighter 14" fighter and top bantamweight prospect Carson Beebe to a multi-fight deal. He's expected to debut in 2012 on an HDNet-televised card.

Posted in: prospect, beebe, texasbased promotion, legacy, carson

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

Casual UFC fans didn't have to worry about plopping down a sizable sum of money this weekend as the world's premier mixed martial arts promotion remained quiet for its second straight week. As expected, a number of prominent regional shows took advantage of the lull in action and lessened focus on the UFC brand. Bellator, Ringside MMA, and XFC all put on successful shows over the weekend with well-known talent. Those aren't the only shows worth mentioning however. The regional scene was ripe with great action with everything from top prospects to UFC and Strikeforce veterans battling it out to get one notch closer to the major leagues. Here's a brief rundown of results: - Thirty-six year old Strikeforce veteran Joey Villasenor returned to the cage on Saturday night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was his first fight since his controversial split decision win over Chris Camozzi in May at Shark Fights 15, which was eventually reversed in favor of Camozzi due to what was deemed a scoring error. Villasenor quickly dispatched of forty-eight fight veteran Chuck Parmlee in two minutes and forty-seven seconds in his welterweight debut. - #3-ranked World MMA Scouting Report light heavyweight Jimi Manuwa destroyed Nick Chapman at UCMMA 24 at the Troxy in London, England on Saturday, brutalizing the 2-0 rookie with knees to finish in only two minutes and fourteen seconds. The win isn't exactly an impressive resume builder for the Brit striker, but he's coming off a major injury and still relatively green himself. Surprisingly, Manuwa has turned down two UFC contract offers in order to better himself, and he's scheduled to train stateside with Alliance MMA alongside UFC vets Phil Davis, Alexander Gustafsson, and Brandon Vera. - Undefeated Brazilian Alexandre Pimentel returned to mixed martial arts after a little under two years to defeat late replacement Udi Lima at Jungle Fight 33 on Saturday. Pimentel was once considered a prospect to watch, but he suffered a debilitating knee injury that kept him out of the sport till now. Surprisingly, it isn't an uncommon problem for fighters in Brazil due to the cost of surgeries and the little money fighting brings to the table. Bantamweight prospect Iliarde Santos battled Eduardo Kiko to a no-contest after he kneed his opponent in the face while he was grounded. The strike broke Kiko's nose. Lightweight grappling whiz Neilson Gomes KO'd Elieni Silva in three minutes and thirty-four seconds. - UFC veteran Mario Miranda knocked out IFL veteran Aaron Stark in the second round at SportFight 30 in Portland, Oregon. Ryan Healy, who was scheduled to face UFC veteran Paul Kelly, narrowly edged late replacement Andrew Chapelle. Kelly had to withdraw due to visa issues. - Top-flight Northeastern prospects Joey Gambino, Aljamain Sterling, and Sean Santella all saw action this weekend at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 11 in Atlantic City. Gambino, who has been training with the likes of Georges St. Pierre at Tristar Gym, stopped Eddie Fyvie in the second round of action to remain undefeated. The win earned him the CFFC featherweight title. In what could be described as one of the best bantamweight prospect tilts outside of any major regional promotion, wrestlers Aljamain Sterling and Sean Santella went head-to-head for the CFFC bantamweight title. Impressively, Sterling dominated the AMA Fight Club team member, beating him on the scorecards (50-45, 49-46, 49-46). 

Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, prospect, veteran

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Joey Gambino stepped into the cage for the main event of Cage Fury Fighting Championships 11 with a 7-0 record.

Posted in: cage, prospect, cage fury, gambino, sterling

Read the full article at Sherdog

Iowa promotion Victory Fighting Championships pulled off a rare feat with the main event of VFC 36. Held in Council Bluffs VFC 36 featured two prospects on the brink of signing an agreement with a major promotion in the cage at the same time. Lightweight Justin Salas (9-3) battled Joe Ellenberger (12-1) for the VFC 155 pound belt. For five rounds Salas and Ellenberger went toe to toe in a 25 minute fight that mixed grappling and stand up. The twin brother of current UFC welterweight contender Jake, Ellenberger nabbed the first round with better wrestling and powerful takedowns. Salas stormed back in the subsequent rounds with a stabbing right hand and adjustments in his grappling game. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} A member of the heralded Team grudge fight team in Colorado, Salas out struck Ellenberger in rounds three and four but more importantly was able to sprawl out of most of the wrestler's takedown attempts. Salas was able to land a handful of takedowns of his own and the subsequent ground n' pound offense racked up points on Ellenberger.   After five rounds all three judges cageside scored the fight in favor of Salas with 49-6 scores. Salas has now won five straight fights since an August 2009 defeat. Fresh off the biggest win of his career over UFC vet Rob Emerson, eight months later Salas showed no signs of a letdown. With back to back marquee and as an entrenched member of the Team Grudge gym Salas' next bout may inside the UFC. A four star prospect at 155 pounds Salas is the number 13 ranked prospect in the lightweight division according to ULTMMA.com.   For Ellenberger the loss was the first of his twelve fight pro career. The 26 year old from Nebraska was in the middle of a remarkable career comeback after nearly two years away from the cage due to illness. Despite the setback Ellenberger is still one of the best unsigned lightweight prospects in MMA. Now 2-1 on the year Ellenberger's combination of wrestling top game and killer instinct, 10 finishes in 12 career wins, give him a realistic shot at the UFC sometime in 2012.Ellenberger checks in at number nine in the ULTMMA.com prospect rankings for unsigned lightweight talent.   Victory Fighting Championships 36 resultsCouncil Bluffs, IAKevin Gray def. Darrick Minner by Unanimous Decision Chuck Streblow def. Blue Peterson by Submission Guillotine Choke 1:19 R2 Summer Artherton def. Kelly Reilly by Unanimous Decision Kassius Holdorf def. Gilbert Loera by TKO 2:51 R1 Jay Collins def. Eldis Sakanovic by Unanimous Decision Mirsad Bektic def. Derek Rhoads by TKO 1:31 R1Brandon Pfannenstiel def. Shane Hutchinson by TKO 0:34 R1Vito Agosta def. Daniel Wales by Submission D'arce Choke 0:55 R1 Justin Salas def. Joe Ellenberger by Unanimous Decision

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, round, prospect, sala

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Despite the loss of a scheduled main event between nine time UFC veteran Din Thomas (25-8) and George Sheppard (10-6) Fight Time 7 trucked along from War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The promoter of the Sunshine State MMA organization announced to the crowd on hand that Thomas was injured in a car crash on his way to the arena. A bout between heavyweight prospect Walt Harris (6-2) and local gamer Cedric James (0-6) became the new defacto main event for Fight Time 7.In what quickly turned into a wild brawl Harris out struck James. Harris dropped James with a punch and pounced on his opponent just 20 seconds into the bout. The referee called the knockout in favor of Harris at the 22 second mark of round one. A former college basketball player the 6'4 Harris is a heavyweight prospect who has already headlined several regional cards throughout the Southern United Sates. The 27 year old Harris is a stand-up fighter who has worked to improve on the grappling aspect of his game throughout his pro and amateur MMA career. In defeat Harris has managed to impress versus current Strikeforce fighter Lorenz Larkin and young heavyweight prospect Chris Barnett. A smaller heavyweight in the 230 pound range Harris has all the physical tools to eventually get his crack at the major leagues of MMA, who are always in desperate need of heavyweight depth. Harris is currently the number 15 ranked heavyweight prospect in MMA according to ULTMMA.com. Fight Time 7 The Return resultsFort Lauderdale, FLLucas Pimenta Borges def. Doug Rossi by TKO (Punches) 0:48 R1Patrick Williams def. Phil Gebauer by Submission Rear Naked Choke 4:17 R2John Rivera def. Jimmy Alexander by KO (Head Kick and Punches) 0:34 R1Damion Williams def. Julian Flor by Submission Forearm Choke 0:57 R1Roy Bradshaw def. Matt McCook by Submission Guillotine Choke 1:17 R2Walt Harris def. Cedric James by KO (Punches) 0:22 R1

Posted in: time, heavyweight, prospect, punch, harri

Read the full article at UltMMA

According to a report by Sherdog.com's Tim Leidecker, 26-year-old European prospect Attila Vegh (24-4-2) has signed with Bellator Fighting Championships to appear in the sixth season's light heavyweight tournament. The deal was confirmed by Vegh's coach and manager, Ilja Skondric. Vegh has gone on an impressive run since fighting to a draw against Hans Stringer at Nitrianska Noc Bojovnikov 3 in Slovakia in February. He knocked out Russian prospect Baga Agaev at Heroes Gate 3 in Prague, Czech Republic a little over one month later, defeated #9-ranked Scouting Report light heavyweight Marcus Vanttinen in Finland in May, and submitted hyped German prospect Jonas Billstein in his most recent performance in June. Interestingly enough, Billstein also signed with the promotion at the beginning of September, leading to a potential rematch between the two fighters within the tournament format. There is no set date when the light heavyweight tournament will begin, nor any information on whether Vegh will take a non-tournament bout under the Bellator banner before fighting in the tournament. Finnish prospect Marcus Vanttinen announced this past weekend that he has signed with Bellator, adding another name to the tournament mix. The only question now is... can Bellator produce a light heavyweight tournament comprised of fighters wanting revenge on Vegh? In reality, Baga Agaev isn't a bad choice for the tournament either. It'll be interesting to see who they pick up next.

Posted in: bellator, heavyweight, prospect, tournament, vegh

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

With his third-round stoppage of Malik Merad at Saturday’s Fight Festival 31, Finnish prospect Marcus Vanttinen secured his spot in Bellator Fighting Championships’ Season 6 light heavyweight tournament.

Posted in: bellator, prospect, tournament, malik merad, vanttinen

Read the full article at Sherdog

A pair of bantamweight contests has been added to UFC 139, promotion officials announced Tuesday, as former WEC champion Miguel Torres will meet Nick Pace while rising prospect Michael McDonald will square off with Johnny Eduardo.

Posted in: ufc, prospect, nick pace, bantamweight contests, johnny eduardo

Read the full article at Sherdog

Well-traveled lightweight Aaron Riley takes on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13 winner Tony Ferguson on the UFC 135 “Jones vs. Rampage” undercard this Saturday in Denver in a classic matchup of up-and-coming prospect versus battle-tested veteran

Posted in: ufc, vs, prospect, aaron riley, riley

Read the full article at Sherdog

Dream light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi will return to the Strikeforce cage on Dec. 17, as the former Strikeforce titleholder locks horns with rising prospect Ovince St. Preux.

Posted in: strikeforce, prospect, preux, strikeforce cage, dec

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Tampa, Florida promotion the XFC will return to the HDNet airwaves on Friday October 21st. XFC 14 will take place at the University of Central Florida Arena in Orlando and will be the promotion's first event of 2011. In the main event former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner (17-5-1) will take on longtime Ohio fighter Nate Jolly (10-3). Varner is 1-0 since being released by the UFC in December 2010. The underdog Jolly is coming off a loss to Minnesota lightweight prospect Zach Juusola in April. Heavyweight prospect Scott Barrett (12-2) will share the co-main event headlines with four time UFC fighter Carmelo Marrero (13-5). Barrett is 2-0 with two first round stoppages since a 2010 run into the Bellator FC heavyweight tournament semifinals. An impressive victory over a veteran like Marrero could propel Barrett into a shot with the UFC in 2012. Barrett is ranked as the number four unsigned heavyweight prospect in MMA according to ULTMMA.com. The Georgia heavyweight also makes appearance in the 2011 edition of the ULTMMA50 at number 35. The ULTMMA50 is a top 50 ranking of the pound for pound best unsigned prospects in MMA. Press releaseThe largest MMA promotion in the Southeast United States, Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC), recently announced that former WEC champion Jamie Varner will take on Nate Jolly in the main event of XFC 14 Friday, October 21st at the UCF Arena in Orlando, Florida. In addition to this exciting main event "Resurrection" will also feature some of the best MMA prospects from around the country looking to make a name for themselves live on HDNet.According to XFC President John Prisco, "We are very excited about XFC 14. Jamie Varner and Nate Jolly is going to be a war. Those are two of the most explosive lightweights in the world and I think it could be the fight of the night. In addition to the main event I believe we have some of the most dynamic fighters from all over the United States on our undercard. I think from top to bottom this is probably the best fight card we have ever put together and I'm sure the fans in Orlando and those watching on HDNet will agree."In the co-main event of the evening, Heavyweight prospects Scott Barrett (12-2) and Carmelo Marrero (13-5-1) will collide in the XFC cage. Barrett is looking to show the MMA community he is one of the top heavyweights in the world but will have to get through the tough UFC veteran to do so.*Marianna Kheyfets (3-0) vs. Molly Helsel (8-12-1), Josh Clark (5-1) vs. Reggie Pena (8-5), Elijah Harshbargar (6-3) vs. Charles Blanchard (9-2), Mike Bernhard (9-2) vs. Mikey Gomez (11-8), and Bruce Connors (8-3) vs. Lawson McClure (7-2) round out the main card."I'm really excited to have Marianna Kheyfets back," exclaimed Prisco. "Marianna destroyed Kim Couture at XFC 11 and submitted her in the first round. We also have Josh Clark on the card. Josh has been running through everyone in his path on shows in Kentucky and we are going to really test him against a kid who knows how to finish fights, Reggie Pena. Charles Blanchard is another fighter I'm excited to have on the card. Charles is best known for being on The Ultimate Fighter but a lot of people don't know that he also defeated Douglas Lima. We have Charles matched up with Elijah Harshbarger, a slick BJJ practitioner from Virginia."Announcing XFC 14 will be none other than the voice of the XFC, Christopher James. The charismatic sports announcer, known for his ability to get the crowd into the action, has been with the promotion since 2008.XFC 14 "Resurrection" will take place on Friday, October 21st at the UCF Arena in Orlando, Florida. Doors open at 5:00pm and fights begin at 7:00pm. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster (http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/22004721982252AA?artistid=1220910&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=830). VIP tables are also available through XFC Corporate. Please call 813-625-1672 for more information. To learn more about the XFC please visit www.officialxfc.com, like them on Facebook, www.facebook.com/officialxfc and follow the promotion on Twitter, www.twitter.com/officialxfc.

Posted in: heavyweight, event, xfc, barrett, prospect

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