Strikeforce Fighter James Terry Out To Prove He’s A Finisher

After having proven himself on many levels of the fight game, Cung Le student James Terry is ready to prove that he can succeed at the highest level of MMA.

After going toe-to-toe with top prospect Tarec Saffiedine and coming up just short, Terry rebounded with a win over Cesar Gracie fighter David Marshall to close out 2010.

“I think last year was really a growing period for me in my MMA career,” Terry told MMA Weekly. “I think that the Tarec loss was definitely frustrating for me, but at the same time I try to be positive about it and I grew from that fight and it helped me to establish that I’m a top-level fighter.

“The fight against David, I was able to utilize the confidence I built and my improved stand-up. I was able to showcase that in that fight.”

Terry intends to build off what he learned in those to fights to make the foundation for his 2011 campaign.

“Overall, I’m going to build more confidence and I’m really looking to be a finisher,” he stated. “I feel that I was really close to finishing a lot of fights with knockouts, but unfortunately I haven’t done that.

“I’m looking to be exciting. I want to knock people out in spectacular fashion or submit them. I want to dominate and I’m going to bring it because now is my time to be at my peak.”

Terry’s first test of the year comes this Saturday as he takes on Lucas Gamaza as part of Strikeforce’s return to San Jose, Calif.

“I think he’ll be similar to my last opponent,” said Terry of Gamaza. “Anybody from the Cesar Gracie/Nick Diaz camp is going to be tough. I’ve got nothing but respect for their camp, and I think this guy is going to want a little redemption (for David’s loss).

“I need to make this fight my fight. I’m just going to do what I want to do. I’m not going to worry too much about him or about what he’s going to do to me. I’ve got a solid game plan for this guy and I’m just going to show everybody where it’s at.”

As it currently stands, Terry is taking this fight on a one-off basis with hopes of parlaying it into another multi-fight contract. From there his goal is simple, keep busy and keep moving forward.

“I just want to fight, put on good shows for the crowd, please my coaches and just have fun,” he stated. “I thoroughly enjoy this sport. I love the build-up and the release and craziness that comes with all of it.

“I’m living in the moment and I’m thankful every day that I get to do this. Just line them up and I’ll knock them down.”

Having learned from both defeat and victory last year, Terry now seeks the kind of consistent success that will take him to the top of the welterweight division.
“I want to thank my sponsors: GFY Gear, BR Flooring, Clinch Gear, SCORE Clinic, Key Chiropractic, Solace Chiropractic and Morning Crane Healing Arts Center,” he said in closing. “Come check me out on Jan. 29 – I’m going to bring it.”

Source: mmaweekly.com

Joe Stevenson vs. Danny Castillo a late addition to UFC on Versus 3

A lightweight bout between former title-challenger Joe Stevenson (31-12 MMA, 8-6 UFC) and WEC import Danny Castillo (10-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is a late addition to March's UFC on Versus 3 event.

Sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie the bout is in the process of being finalized.

UFC on Versus 3 takes place March 3 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., and the main card airs on Versus.

Stevenson vs. Castillo could take a televised main-card slot that opened when injured Paulo Thiago recently pulled out of a scheduled fight with Johny Hendricks.

Stevenson looks to shake out of a recent slump that's resulted in four losses in his past six fights, including recent defeats to George Sotiropoulos (decision) and Mac Danzig (knockout). "The Ultimate Fighter 2" winner won five of his first six UFC fights and then fought B.J. Penn for the organization's vacant lightweight belt. But with that submission loss, Stevenson has won just three times in his most recent eight outings.

Castillo recently concluded his WEC career with a 5-3 record following back-to-back wins over fast-rising Dustin Poirier (decision) and Will Kerr (KO). In fact, his only losses in the WEC came to the elite of the division: Donald Cerrone, Shane Roller and Anthony Pettis.

As MMAjunkie.com recently reported, Castillo recently announced he has signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC following the WEC-UFC merger.


Source: mmajunkie.com

Zuffa Adds Pieces to UFC 129 Puzzle

Two new preliminary contests have been added to the dance card at UFC 129 on April 30 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, as Canadians Claude Patrick and Ivan Menjivar will square off with Daniel Roberts and Charlie Valencia at 170 and 135 pounds, respectively. Nine bouts are now official for the event, which will air live on pay-per-view.

UFC 129 will be headlined by a welterweight title clash between dominant champion Georges St. Pierre and top contender Jake Shields. The show is expected to host 11 fights when the final card is released, as UFC President Dana White has previously stated that two more bouts --Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida and Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick -- were in the works.

Patrick rides a 12-fight winning streak heading into UFC 129 and has gone a perfect 2-0 while competing in the Octagon. The 30-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt submitted Ricardo Funch in his UFC debut in June and followed that victory with a unanimous decision win over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 winner James Wilks at UFC 120 in London.

In Roberts, he faces a dangerous submission artist who has won his last three fights. After suffering a brutal knockout in his UFC debut, courtesy of John Howard, Roberts edged Forrest Petz in a split decision victory at UFC 116. The Cesar Gracie product finished his next two opponents, using his jiu-jitsu skills to submit Michael Guymon with an anaconda choke and Greg Soto with a kimura at UFC 121 and 125.

A 10-year veteran of the sport, Menjivar has competed against some of the best in the world. Recently, however, the Canadian has dropped three of his last four bouts. In his last fight, Menjivar put on an exciting performance in his WEC debut against game Brit Brad Pickett, but it was not enough to earn a victory. The 28-year-old will be making his first appearance in the Octagon since UFC 48 in 2004.

Though he has won three of his last four, Valencia’s last trip inside the cage was not a pleasant one, as he was picked apart and submitted in the second round by former bantamweight champion Miguel Torres at WEC 51 in September. Valencia is a nine-time WEC veteran and holds five of his 12 career victories by submission.


Source: sherdog.com

Judge Orders Emelianenko, M-1 Global, Affliction to Resolve Disputes

Amid a recent flurry of discovery disputes between courtroom adversaries Fedor Emelianenko/M-1 Global (plaintiffs) and Affliction Entertainment (defendant), a federal magistrate judge on Monday issued an order staying discovery between the parties, ordering them to meet and confer “day to day until done” to resolve their disputes.

The litigation commenced back in October 2009, when Emelianenko and M-1 Global, a promotional/management group with which the fighter is closely aligned, filed suit to recover damages they allegedly suffered after Affliction cancelled the co-promoted “Trilogy” event, scheduled to take place on Aug. 1, 2009. “The Last Emperor” and M-1 claim that Affliction Entertainment breached the “Fight Agreement” when it refused to stage and promote a third bout for Emelianenko after his advertised opponent, Josh Barnett, was refused a license in California. Two weeks before the Affliction event, the California State Athletic Commission denied Barnett’s license application, reporting the fighter tested positive for steroids. According to M-1 and Emelianenko, Affliction did not undertake “all reasonable efforts” to find a fighter to replace Barnett. They contend that Affliction lost interest in promoting this third bout partly because it was trying to repair its soured relationship with the UFC.

On May 26, 2010, Affliction filed a countersuit against M-1, claiming one of the documents governing their relationship, a “Consulting Agreement,” was a “sham contract designed to avoid tax obligations.” Affliction asked the court to declare the Consulting Agreement unlawful and require M-1 to refund the $2.4 million it initially collected for the two events. Earlier this year, M-1 Global’s attorney, Marc S. Hines, told Sherdog.com, “We deny the allegations in the cross-claim.” Shortly after Sherdog.com first reported the news, Affliction voluntarily dismissed its counterclaim, without prejudice to re-file its claim at some later date. The court’s docket reflects that Affliction has never re-filed its counterclaim. At this stage of the proceedings, it is highly unlikely Affliction could or would do so.

Until now, the parties were moving forward toward completing discovery (e.g., written interrogatories, requests for production of documents and depositions of potential trial witnesses) before the court-imposed deadline of January 28, 2011. Several key depositions have been taken by the parties. According to M-1, among the depositions it has taken to date are Zuffa (through its President Dana White and General Counsel Lawrence Epstein), Affliction (through co-founder Todd Beard, Vice President Tom Atencio and attorney Michael Bassiri) and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker. However, with the discovery cutoff looming, the parties have become embroiled in several discovery disputes in recent weeks, bringing issues to the court for resolution through ex parteapplications -- a special type of “emergency” motion usually reserved for matters needing urgent resolution.

The first dispute concerns the number of additional depositions M-1 is allowed to take. Relying on a previous decision by the court, Emelianenko and M-1 argue that each side can take 15 depositions, in addition to expert witness depositions. Affliction disagrees, interpreting the court’s order as permitting only 15 depositions total. The parties also disagree on the number of depositions that have already been taken. In civil litigation, where a corporate deposition is taken, the company is responsible for producing one or more corporate representatives that are qualified to testify regarding all of the subjects listed in the deposition notice. The dispute here is focused on whether certain individuals were deposed in their personal capacity or whether they were deposed as corporate representatives. The answer to that disputed question will affect the tally of how many depositions M-1 has taken and how many more it can take.

By M-1’s count, it has taken just eight depositions to date. However, under Affliction’s reasoning, some of the witnesses were deposed in their personal capacity, so it argues M-1 has taken 11 and is closer to exhausting its allotted 15 depositions. M-1 seeks urgent court intervention to resolve the dispute and force the depositions of several other third party witnesses, including Brett Rogers, an alleged potential replacement for Barnett. “The deposition is necessary to establish whether Mr. Rogers was read[y], willing and able to fight Plaintiff Fedor Emelianenko on August 1, 2009,” according to M-1.

Through a second ex parte application, M-1 seeks an order requiring Affliction to answer its written discovery questions (interrogatories) and produce a slew of documents M-1 believes it is entitled to see, including agreements and communications related to HDNet and DirecTV. It also seeks a related order forcing Affliction to submit to another deposition. According to M-1, Affliction failed to hand over documents in advance of Affliction’s corporate deposition and did not come prepared to answer questions on the topics included in the deposition notice. Affliction vehemently disagrees, arguing that it produced qualified witnesses at the deposition and produced all the requested documents in its possession.

The third discovery dispute concerns M-1’s scheduled depositions of an Australian pay-per-view broadcaster and Rogers. M-1 wants these depositions to prove damages and Rogers’ availability to fight Emelianenko at Affliction “Trilogy.” Affliction filed its own ex parte application to stop these depositions from going forward, arguing that the deposition notices were void based on procedural technicalities.

With all this back and forth over ordinarily routine discovery procedures, the judge appeared frustrated by the parties’ inability to work through at least some of their disagreements. On Monday, the judge issued an order denying all three ex parte applications and scolding the parties: “The filing of discovery requests and ex parte applications in the days before the discovery cutoff is an abuse of the judicial process.” The judge ordered a halt to everything, until the parties sit down and hash out their problems, starting on Thursday, and threatened to impose sanctions on any party or attorney that fails to engage in a good faith effort to resolve the disputes.

M-1’s counsel, Hines, told Sherdog, “Once we’re past these procedural discovery issues, we’re preparing to go to trial.”

Affliction’s counsel was contacted but declined to comment on the matter. Even though discovery has temporarily been put on hold, the June 7 trial date remains on the calendar, at least for the time being.


Source: sherdog.com

Douglas-Gonzalez Targeted for Strikeforce Challengers 14

Another matchup has surfaced for Strikeforce Challengers 14, as a lightweight scrap between David Douglas (Pictured) and Nick Gonzalez is being put together for the event on Feb. 18 at the Cedar Park Center in Austin, Texas.

Sherdog.com on Wednesday confirmed with sources close to the negotiations that while verbal agreements are in place for the bout, no contracts have yet been signed. The matchup was first reported over Twitter by MMA Supremacy.

Strikeforce Challengers 14 will be headlined by another lightweight showdown pitting the undefeated Lyle Beerbohm against Pat Healy and will also feature the return of Ryan Couture, as he takes on Lee Higgins in yet another 155-pound affair.

A Cesar Gracie product, Douglas is a veteran of both Strikeforce and the defunct EliteXC promotion. After beginning his career with a loss to former WEC featherweight title contender Jeff Curran in 2005, Douglas ran off four straight victories before running into powerful prospect Justin Wilcox in his Strikeforce debut in August 2009. After spending more than a year on the sideline, “Tarzan” returned to the cage in October, earning a technical knockout victory over Dominic Clark at Strikeforce Challengers 11. Douglas has never been to a decision and owns all five of his career victories by knockout.

Fighting out of Austin, Texas, Gonzalez will have the home-field advantage heading into the bout. A former Bellator Fighting Championships competitor, “The Ghost” has faced some stiff competition as a professional. In 2007 alone, the lightweight squared off with both UFC veteran Yves Edwards and former Strikeforce lightweight king Josh Thomson, losing both fights. Gonzalez comes into this upcoming bout riding back-to-back wins. The Alliance MMA product has finished half of his 16 career victims by either knockout or submission.

Strikeforce Challengers 14 will also likely feature a welterweight scrap between Ryan Larson and Erik Apple, as well as another 155-pound showdown between Bryan Traversand Carlo Prater. Neither bout has been officially announced by the promotion.


Source: sherdog.com

Gegard Mousasi Aiming for April Return Against Mike Kyle

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi is hoping to return to action for the promotion in April against Mike Kyle. Mousasi informed MMA Fighting of his plans on Friday.

The 25-year-old Mousasi said that he was originally scheduled to fight Kyle on the March 5 card in Columbus, Ohio, but Kyle needs more time to heal from the injuries he sustained in his December loss to Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.

ESPN reported on Thursday that Strikeforce is targeting April 9 as a possible date. A location has yet to be finalized.

Mousasi (30-3-1) hasn't fought for Strikeforce since he lost the 205-pound title to Muhammed Lawal in April. That loss snapped his 15-fight winning streak, which spanned four years. Since the loss to "King Mo," Mousasi has won the DREAM light heavyweight title after beating Jake O'Brien and Tatsuya Mizuno in a four-man tournament. He also defeated Kyotaro in a K-1 match at Dynamite!! 2010.

Kyle (18-8-1, 1 no contest) is 5-1 with 1 no contest in his last seven fights. He was very active in 2010, fighting six times in total. He holds wins in Strikeforce over current champion Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante and Abongo Humphrey.

Source: mmafighting.com

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva Prelims to Air Live on HDNet

Preliminary bouts on the Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva card on Feb. 12 in East Rutherford, N.J. will be televised live on HDNet.

The four undercard bouts planned for airing are Igor Gracie vs. John Salgado, John Cholish vs. Marc Stevens, Sam Oropeza vs. Don Carlo-Clauss and Anthony Leone vs. Josh LaBerge, HDNet tells MMAFighting.

HDNet will also mix up its usual broadcasting teams, placing Michael Schiavello and Bas Rutten in the booth for this event.

The HDNet broadcast of the undercard begins at 8 p.m. ET until the main card gets underway at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime. In addition, HDNet will air the weigh-ins live at 5 p.m. ET the day before the event.

The undercard will also feature Kevin Roddy vs. Jay Maclean and other bouts.


Source: mmafighting.com

Titan FC 16 Weigh-Ins: Tim Sylvia Tips Scale at 311 Pounds

Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia weighed in at 311 pounds on Thursday prior to his Titan FC 16 fight against Abe Wagner. Wagner, a former cast member on the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter, weighed 265.2.

Titan FC 16 takes place Friday night at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The main card, headlined by Sylvia vs. Wagner, airs live on HDNet at 10 p.m. ET.

This marks the heaviest Sylvia has ever been prior to a fight. "The Maine-iac" weighed 310 pounds before his fight against Ray Mercer in 2009 and 305 when he fought Mariusz Pudzianowksi in 2010.

The 34-year-old Sylvia (28-6) has won his last four fights in a row against Vince Lucero, Paul Buentello, Pudzianowksi and Jason Riley.

He took this fight on short notice after Todd Duffee, who was originally scheduled to fight Wagner, accepted a fight against Alistair Overeem at Dynamitte!! 2010.

Other Titan FC fights to be televised on Friday night include Jason High vs. Rudy Bears, Gary Tapusoa vs. Drew McFedries, and Rich "No Love" Clementi vs. Aaron Derrow.

Below is a video of Sylvia tipping the scales at 311 pounds.




Source: mmafighting.com

Former Champ Mike Brown Spared Cut, Recovering From Hand Surgery

End the speculation about Mike Brown.

The former WEC featherweight champion, the rumor of a potential cut after suffering his third loss in four fights during the recent UFC Fight for the Troops 2 event, will be given another opportunity to get back into the UFC win column.

American Top Team general manager Richie Guerriero confirmed to MMA Fighting that in the days since his unanimous decision loss to Rani Yahya, Brown has been told he would remain on the roster.

The decorated former 145-pound champ lost his belt to Jose Aldo in November 2009, and has since struggled to regain the form that made him one of the best featherweights in the world. After rebounding from his title loss with a submission win over Anthony Morrison, he suffered a first-round knockout loss at the hands of Manny Gamburyan before losing two of his next three. Altogether, the talented featherweight has lost four of his last six.

Because of that, his UFC future seemed murky after his most recent loss, but the decision to keep him was likely helped by the fact that Brown (24-8) had stepped up to fight Yahya on short notice, just three weeks after a split-decision loss to Diego Nunes at UFC 125. Yahya had been scheduled to face "the Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung, before Jung pulled out due to injury.

Earlier this week, the 35-year-old Brown had surgery to address a torn ligament in his left hand suffered in the first round of his fight, a procedure that will have him in recovery mode for a time. While working his way through rehab, at least he knows he has a job waiting for him when he gets healthy.


Source: mmafighting.com

Scott Coker on Strikeforce Grand Prix: “Greatest Heavyweight Tournament in the History of MMA”

The upcoming Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix may end up being the promotion’s biggest series of events to date. According to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, it is the greatest heavyweight collection in MMA history.

A few weeks back, former linear No. 1 heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko said he believes the upcoming Strikeforce tournament rivals or surpasses the Pride Fighting Championships tournament he took part in some years ago.

With fighters like Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Barnett and of course Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem all involved, it’s hard to argue that point.

“Pride had some amazing shows and they set the benchmark for tournaments. I know the UFC originally started back in ’93 with the tournament format, but that was a different era, a different time,” Coker said recently on MMAWeekly Radio.

“I’m not the type of guy to sit here and boasting about it, but when you look at it on paper, I think this is honestly the greatest heavyweight tournament in the history of mixed martial arts. I think there’s a good argument about that. That’s really my position on it.”

The tournament is stacked with several heavyweights in the Top 10, along with a few former Top 10 fighters as well.

One question many fans have asked about is how stacked one side of the tournament seems to be with Emelianenko, Overeem, and Werdum all sitting together. Coker believes that side of the tournament is set up for a couple of reasons.

First, the fans are guaranteed to see a fight they’ve been asking for with Overeem vs. Werdum in the first round, and second, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion flat out asked to face the Brazilian as soon as he possibly could.

“He came to me in Japan and said ‘I want fight Fabricio Werdum and I want to avenge that fight. I want to knock him out,” Coker said about Overeem.

Of course on the other side of the tournament discussion are comments from everyone including fans and media about the set up of the Grand Prix. From Overeem not defending his title to the right side of the bracket seemingly lighter on talent, Strikeforce has taken its fair share of criticism about the mega-tournament kicking off in February.

Does Strikeforce receive harsher criticism than the UFC, the biggest MMA organization in the world? Coker says he doesn’t want opinions on his promotion to be judged by anything other than the quality of the fights they’re putting on.

“This is what I say: Judge us by what’s inside the cage and we put on some amazing fights, put on some big fights, and I think the tournament’s going to be unbelievable,” said Coker. “Why be a critic? Why don’t you just sit back and enjoy it? Because it’s going to be unbelievable and you get to watch it on Showtime for free.”

Coker even talks to his good friends at the American Kickboxing Academy as they kick around the idea of who would win in a fight between Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem and UFC champion Cain Velasquez.

“I was sitting here with Javier Mendes and Bob Cook going ‘you know, if Fedor would take Cain and Alistair would take it to Cain’ and we had this big debate about AKA vs. Strikeforce,” Coker commented.

Fans may not get to see those particular match-ups, but they will see a lot of other great fights at the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix kicks off Feb. 12 in New Jersey.

Source: mmaweekly.com