News aggregator
Billboard Rec Sports DVD Chart - 11/29/08
The Billboard Recreational Sports DVD Chart for the week of November 29nd:
1 WWE: Hell In A Cell
2 WWE: No Mercy 2008
3 2001 FedEx Orange Bowl National Championship
4 NFL History of the Cleveland Browns
5 NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers 5 Greatest Games
6 Bejing 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony
7 NHL: Sidney Crosby: On The Ice And Beyond
8 NFL: Washington Redskins: Super Bowl Champions
9 WWE: The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment
10 Pride Fighting Championships: Total Elimination 2006
Today’s chalkboard: Jake Shields, Dana White, and UFC business matters
HDNet Fights and FEG USA, Inc. Announce Extended Partnership
DALLAS, Nov 20, 2008 — HDNet Fights announced that it has extended its existing partnership with FEG USA, Inc. to present the DREAM Mixed Martial Arts events in 2009 and beyond. This announcement makes HDNet the exclusive North American television destination for the DREAM MMA events.
“We’re very happy to expand and continue this successful partnership with FEG USA, Inc.,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “DREAM is known for having the best MMA tournaments and superfights in the world and clearly has the greatest production and fighter entrances in the sport. This partnership solidifies our commitment to being THE Home of MMA.”
“It has been a good year for DREAM,” said Mike Kogan of FEG USA, Inc. “We are glad that FEG is able to continue its partnership with HDNet and bring more DREAM action to North American Fans.”
Airdates and times for the upcoming DREAM events will be announced at a later date.
Sherdog.com’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10
Outside the Octagon
Strikeforce weigh-in results for ‘Destruction’
The field of Strikeforce fighters scheduled to compete at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California on November 21 recently tipped the scales at the Palm Court in the lobby area of Hotel DeAnza for the official “Destruction” weigh-ins.
MMA veterans Yves Edwards and Duane “Bang” Ludwig will face off at a catch weight of 164 pounds after lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson was forced to bow out of the match due to a foot injury.
In addition, Kim Couture had already agreed to fight Lina Kvokov prior to the weigh-ins after being informed that Kvokov would not be able to hit the 130lb mark.
All other fighters on the card made their respective weights.
Here are the official results:
205 lbs.: Bobby Southworth (204) vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral (204)
155 lbs.: Yves Edwards (164) vs. Duane “Bang” Ludwig (163)
170 lbs.: Joe “Diesel” Riggs (170.5) vs. Luke Stewart (170.5)
185 lbs.: Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (185.5) vs. Terry Martin (186)
130 lbs.: Kim Couture (132) vs. Lina Kvokov (133)
Under card (May not be broadcast):
175 lbs.: Lemont Davis (173) vs. Brian Schwartz (175)
135 lbs.: Brad Royster (134) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (136)
185 lbs.: Tony Johnson (184) vs. Eric Lawson (185)
145 lbs.: Alvin Cacdac (143) vs. Jose Palacios (145)
155 lbs.: Bobby Stack (155) vs. Cyrillo Padilha (156)
155 lbs.: Zakary Bucia (169) vs. Adam Steele (168)
185 lbs.: Kurt Osiander (185) vs. Josh Neal (184)
185 lbs.: Nik Theotikos (185.5) vs. Luke Rockhold (185.5)
*Note: Fighters are allowed to weigh one pound more than the division limit in non-title fights.
HP Pavilion doors will open for Strikeforce: “Destruction” at 5:30 p.m. MT and the preliminary card will begin at 6:00 p.m. MST. The main card will commence at 7:30 p.m. MT, which will air on HDNet live at this time.
Remember MMAmania.com will be your spot for all your “Destruction” news and results. Check in often.
addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmmamania.com%2F2008%2F11%2F21%2Fstrikeforce-weigh-in-results-for-destruction%2F'; addthis_title = 'Strikeforce+weigh-in+results+for+%26%238216%3BDestruction%26%238217%3B'; addthis_pub = 'brok3llc';Aleksander Emelianenko Returns Tonight for M-1 Challenge
(“Well, it was nice knowing you.” Photo courtesy of M-1 MixFight; props to BloodyElbow for the heads-up.)
M-1 is holding an M-1 Challenge event today in St. Petersburg, Russia, with Team Russia Red Devil taking on Team Korea, and Team Russia Legion facing Team Holland; the full lineup is here. Headlining the team competition will be two “superfights” that reflect the card’s nation vs. nation theme. The Legion/Holland main event will be 1-1 rookie Alexander Timanov vs. Dutch bad-boy Gilbert Yvel, while the Red Devil/Korea feature will be none other than Alexander Emelianenko vs. Spirit MC/DEEP/M-1 vet Sang Soo Lee (10-4). Soo has won four of his five fights this year, including a submission victory over Emelianenko’s Red Devil clubmate Roman Zentsov. The Korean fighter may be a step up in competition from Aleks’s last opponent, but we still think The Grim Reaper should be able to take this one relatively easily. More photos from yesterday’s weigh-ins are after the jump, courtesy of M1MixFight.com.
(Come on, guys. You’re better than this.)
(Disguised by a red wig, Michael J. Fox sneaks in to ask Vadim Finkelchtein some questions.)
The Other Couture Laces Up
Best of the Sherdog Radio Network
MMA Live Gives Us Our Due Respect
(UPDATE: Are you also not getting sound on this crappy video embed? Then watch the episode here.)
Props to CagePotato reader Jeremy T. for giving us the heads up on the new episode of ESPN.com’s MMA Live, in which host Jon Anik credits CagePotato.com’s reporting regarding Paulo Filho’s release from his Zuffa contract. (The shout-out happens at the -20:54 mark.) First ESPN.com…next, THE-WORLD.COM.
Elsewhere in the episode, Anik, Kenny Florian, Stephan Bonnar, and Franklin McNeil discuss Brock Lesnar’s recent achievement in the Octagon and his future prospects in the UFC, Ken-Flo gives his full analysis of his win over Joe Stevenson, and the gang runs down tonight’s Strikeforce card. Bonnar’s delivery is still a little shaky, but he’s trying, and trying used to count for something.
Speaking of ESPN, the network’s Spanish-language arm ESPN Deportes will be broadcasting the Bellator Fighting Championships, a new MMA league that will debut in April 2009. Twelve two-hour episodes will air on Saturday nights, featuring tournaments in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight divisions. Rumored participants include Paulo Filho, Hector Lombard, Eddie Alvarez, and Jorge Masvidal.
Tito Ortiz talks back surgery, EliteXC and being better than everyone else (video)
Meet BJ Penn, Georges St. Pierre and Dana White today live in Honolulu
Props: UFC.com and BJPenn.com
Quoteworthy:
"… Get ready, UFC® President Dana White is coming to town along with UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre and UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn to formally announce UFC 94: ST-PIERRE vs. PENN 2 – the incredible rematch that fans have been waiting for…. On Friday, November 21, the trio will land on the Big Island and hit Honolulu for a public press conference and free viewing party at the Blaisdell Concert Hall."
The public relations media blitz for UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2," which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 31 contiunues in Honolulu with doors opening at 4 p.m. local time. Fans are invited to attend at no cost and will receive free t-shirts while supplies last, as well as will be able to get some autographs. Sounds awesome.
***Please note the event has been moved indoors to the Blaisdell Concert Hall due to the threat of inclement weather***
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Props: CombatLifestyle.com
(Click the link above for more pics of “The Axe Murder” preparing for his 205-pound showdown against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 92: “The Ultimate 2008″ on December 27.)
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Jon Fitch back in the UFC and will fight at UFC 94
After a tumultuous 24 hours, during which he was abruptly terminated, former number one contender Jon Fitch is back on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) roster after a discussion with Zuffa co-owner Lorenzo Feritta.
MMAmania.com spoke to Fitch, who described the conversation as, “good, really good.”
He also added this via MMARated.com shortly after getting the good news:
“Communication kind of broke down with Dana (White) so we talked with Lorenzo. (I) just got off the phone with him and we came to an agreement. We’re going to move ahead and I’ll be back in the UFC. We’re going to sign off on the video game and I’m back. It was never even about the agreement or the contract. It was the approach that we felt Dana was being a little bit hot-headed and was threatening us right off the bat. It didn’t seem like a professional way of doing things.”
White and the management team at Zinkin Entertainment, which represents several of the fighters who train at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) where Fitch is stationed, had an explosive falling out over business-related agreements just yesterday.
In short, White made it clear that the fighters at AKA needed to sign a video game agreement that would give the promotion exclusive lifetime rights to their likenesses or risk losing their jobs. It was the “your either with us or your not approach.”
So when Fitch’s management team attempted to negotiate the terms, which were nonnegotiable, White escalated the situation and cut ties with the camp, terminating the promotional contracts of Fitch and stablemate, Christian Wellisch, shortly thereafter.
The move sent shockwaves through the entire mixed martial arts community, which was made more alarming when the president of the company indicated that others could be next who did not want to be “partners.” He indicated that the AKA contingent was historically the most troublesome when it came to the business side of things and that, essentially, he no longer wanted to work with them … and their fighters.
That included Fitch, who is tied with Royce Gracie and Anderson Silva for the most consecutive wins in UFC history (eight). He even just recently lost a gutsy unanimous decision to welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 87: “Seek and Destroy” on August 9.
The message was clear: No one (at AKA, anyway) was safe.
Fitch today took to the airwaves to please his side of the story, saying that his management team, in fact, eventually encouraged him to sign the the deal. But based on the way he was treated and the way the situation was handled, Fitch stood his ground and worked to find a solution to a situation that probably should have never happened.
That solution, of course, was Lorenzo Fertitta. He spoke with Feritta directly (he never spoke to White throughout the ordeal) to hammer out a resolution.
He signed the video game agreement and was reinstated shortly thereafter. In fact, he is once again scheduled to fight Akihiro Gono at UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs Penn 2″ on January 31 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
So in the end, cooler heads did indeed prevail. Now the focus can hopefully shift to what is really important, which is fighting … inside the Octagon.
THQ — the acclaimed video game development company — is scheduled to release “Undisputed” sometime in early 2009.
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MMARated is reporting that Top 5 welterweight Jon Fitch is back in with the UFC. Ariel Helwani is in the San Jose area to cover the Strikeforce card as was able to get in contact with the embattled fighter:
After speaking with UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta via phone, Fitch said the two had managed to clear the air, that the fighter would sign the company’s much-maligned video game licensing agreement and was cleared to fight Akihiro Gono at UFC 94, as previously planned.
In speaking with MMARated, Fitch put the onus of the impasse on the negotiating tactics of UFC President Dana White, who he felt was heavy handed and hot headed in his dealings with AKA from the beginning. A cynic might suggest this is a text book case of good cop bad cop, regardless the end effect has been accomplished by the UFC, with Fitch signing away his video game rights, seemingly in perpetuity.
