WEC 3/26 card preview
By Zach Arnold | March 26, 2008
TV: Versus Network
Commentators: Todd Harris & Frank Mir
Tonight is red meat for the hardcores. Here’s the line-up:
- Doug “Rhino” Marshall vs. Brian Stann
- Chael Sonnen vs. Bryan Baker
- Ed Ratcliff vs. Marcus Hicks
- Steve Cantwell vs. Tim McKenzie
- Hiromitsu Miura vs. Bias Avena
- John Alessio vs. Brock Larson
- Sergio Gomez vs. Rich Crunkilton
- Ryan Stonitsch vs. Alex Serdyukov
- Chris Manuel vs. Kenji Osawa
- Logan Clark vs. Scott Harper
Make sure to get your predictions in for the fight card at MMAPredictions.com.
Also, WEC will run Arco Arena as the facility for the Jens Pulver vs. Urijah Faber fight. That’s an enormously big building to use, even if the promotion ‘shrinks’ it down to 8,000 or so seats.
Topics: Media, MMA, WEC, Zach Arnold | 13 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Monday morning quarterback (3/24/08)
By Zach Arnold | March 24, 2008
Interesting link of the day is that MMA Madness is up for sale.
- AOL Fanhouse: Bidding wars coming to MMA? EXC could use CBS deal to add UFC talent
- The Dayton Daily News (OH): CBS deal could help EXC lure new talent
- Steve Sievert: Much at stake as CBS readies first shot at MMA
- Gary Herman: Frank Shamrock Q & A
- The Chronicle Herald (Halifax, Nova Scotia): Roger Hollett eyes late summer return to battle
- The Ottawa Sun: HCF MMA card’s ‘huge’
- The Boston Herald: Joe Lauzon: BJ Penn is mightiest
- New York Newsday: Brian Stann stands for more than himself
- The Winnipeg Sun: Hands of Stone rocks
- The Community Press (Kentucky): Amelia grad Joe Ammerman fighting way to top of martial arts
- KIMA CBS 29 (Yakima, WA): Backyard brawls morph into E. Wash. blood sport
- KHNL News 8 (Honolulu): Egan Inoue returns to the ring
- The Western Star (Canada): D.J. Pike pursuing ultimate dream of becoming professional fighter
- Full Contact Fighter (Audio): Travis Lutter and Rob MacDonald
- UFC HP: Karo Parisyan’s fight tale
- Sherdog: Strikeforce maintains Kazuo Misaki is signed
- MMA HQ: Event preview for this Wednesday’s WEC event on Versus with Doug Marshall vs. Brian Stann
- MMA Analyst: MMA isn’t immune to the outside world
- Total MMA: Japan’s DREAM falls short; is it a sign?
Topics: Canada, DREAM, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, StrikeForce, UFC, WEC, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Thursday talk radio: Fight Opinion meets BetUS
By Zach Arnold | March 20, 2008
Jeff Thaler and I did an interview with Damon at BetUS.com this afternoon. Here is the direct audio link.
- Mainichi Daily News: Antonio Inoki opens wrestling pub in Fukuoka (hat tip: Mikeinformer)
- Larry Vollmer Jr.: First thoughts on ‘Iron Ring’
- Alex Marvez: Steroids and scandal have had little impact on pro-wrestling fans (and similarly with MMA fans as well)
- Setanta Sports (UK): Chuck Liddell dishes out Kurt Angle warning
- The Sandy Post (OR): Matt “The Law” Lindland wants to be “The Law-maker”
- Bloody Elbow: Video – Team Takedown/Cobra Kai at Western Regional Grappling Duals
- Sherdog: CBS, Pro Elite schedule prime-time debut
- CBC Sports: Michael Buffer will have throat surgery
- Kevin Iole: Houston Alexander grounded, ready to soar
- Fightlinker: Evan Tanner is broke
- MMA Analyst: Golden Boy/Affliction a front runner in the Fedor sweepstakes?
- Charles Jay: Gotcha Gary Shaw, got him? Not really
- Mark Cuban: This guy (Leonard Shapiro) proves anyone with a keyboard can be stupid
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro Elite, UFC, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Maryland MMA legislation stalled
By Zach Arnold | March 20, 2008
- WJZ: Maryland senate divided on ultimate fighting
- The Washington Examiner: Lawmakers delay approval of MMA
Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Wednesday weekly rundown (3/19/08)
By Zach Arnold | March 19, 2008
- Todd Martin (CBS Sports): Jeff Blatnick sees MMA as viable career option for amateur wrestlers
- The Sun (UK): Cage Rage promoter Andy Geer says Sean Sherk should be banned for life from MMA
- The Seattle PI: Interview with Joe Lauzon
- The Canadian Press: Expect MMA sparks to fly when James Irvin and Houston Alexander meet
- The Canadian Press: Spencer Fisher pulls out of UFC fight because of shoulder injury
- Sherdog: Fedor never under contract to M-1
- MMA Mania: New Kimbo Slice video interview
- Full Contact Fighter (Audio): Interview with Joe Doerksen
- MMA Predictions: Notes from the Strikeforce Conference call
- Dave Meltzer: Frank vs. Ken Shamrock a no-go?
- MMA Analyst: Ken vs. Frank shouldn’t happen
- Steve Sievert: In UFC free-agent shuffle, loss of Tito Ortiz would sting most
- MMA Opinion: Exclusive DREAM debut event pictures
Topics: DREAM, M-1, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, StrikeForce, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Report: Angle to make ‘MMA debut’ in Osaka
By Zach Arnold | March 19, 2008
Nikkan Sports has a report claiming that Antonio Inoki is interested in Kurt Angle making his MMA debut on the IGF 4/12 Osaka Prefectural Gym show. According to Inoki, Angle will likely participate with open-fingered gloves and that it may be a 3-way MMA match involving Naoya Ogawa & Josh Barnett. Making this story even better is the fact that Angle has to work a TNA PPV the next day (4/13) in the States.
On a sidenote, Yosuke Nishijima has been booked for K-1’s 4/13 Yokohama Arena World GP event.
Topics: Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, Zach Arnold | 14 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Has there been a great MMA rivalry?
By Iain Liddle | March 17, 2008
If you’ll allow me to be self-indulgent then I’ll use this week’s entry to throw out a question that has been niggling away at me of late.
March has already produced another installment in two great boxing rivalries. On March 1st Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez stepped into the ring together for the third time. They were tied at 1-1 in their rivalry having fought twice before in the previous thirteen months and both had been nominated for ‘Fight of the year’ for 2007. In fact, most boxing writers who I respect are unanimous in the view that the second encounter was the best to have taken place last year, despite Kelly Pavlik vs Jermain Taylor eventually taking the official boxing writer’s award.
As they prepared to lace up the gloves one more time, fan and promoter expectations were high. Gary Shaw had been proclaiming this fight as the antidote to February’s Klitschko-Ibraghimov snoozefest before it had even taken place. Showtime placed both of the preceding bouts on their website to justify the hype and show fans just how good the sport can be and will be again. It never seemed to cross anyone’s mind that the two Mexicans may disappoint us.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Iain Liddle, MMA | 22 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Losers and winners this month in Japan
By Zach Arnold | March 17, 2008
MMA Predictions will have an interview with Baret Yoshida later on their site this week.
I’m very curious as to what the rating for the DREAM debut show on TBS was. If it’s a low number… and I’m not even talking about the live gate, either. You would have to say that round one of the K-1 & DSE vs. J-ROCK war goes to Yoshida’s camp. Flashback: A DREAM of returning to glory (3/5/08).
Update: It is confirmed that the show drew an 8.9% rating on TBS. That is a miserable rating that would even make HEROs blush. TBS finished second to last for ratings in that time frame, with low-powered TV Tokyo finishing in last (with a 6.9% number).
- Compustrike: Stats from XFL 3/15 Tulsa event
- Michael Rome: For MMA, the Internet matters
- MMA Payout: Review of BET’s Iron Ring show
- MMA Opinion: A wake-up call for DREAM
- Sherdog: Waking up from a ‘DREAM’
- Nikkan Sports: Plan for Mirko vs. Fedor on NYE 2008
- Fight Metric: Volunteers needed for new project
- The Charlotte Observer: Anything goes in films with MMA
- Setanta Sports (UK): Matt Serra’s three-step plan to beat GSP
- MMA Junkie: April 5th ShoXC card taking shape
Topics: DREAM, Japan, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, UFC, Zach Arnold | 31 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Sunday news review (3/16/08)
By Zach Arnold | March 16, 2008
- The Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Kala Kolohe Hose sitting on top of the world
- The Columbus Dispatch (OH): Sports editor tries to wriggle away from angry MMA fans
- The South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Grappling tournament has big turnout (this is about the NAGA West Palm Beach event)
- The Winnipeg Sun: Kalib Starnes fights for himself
- The South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Women promoters fight for local audience
- Todd Martin (CBS Sports): Hip-hop meets MMA in BET’s ‘Iron Ring’
- KSBY 6 Action News: Chuck Liddell takes a plunge at the 2nd annual polar bear plunge in Pismo Beach
- UFC HP: UFC 84 card taking shape with three 205-pound fights finalized
- The Fightworks Podcast (audio): Interview with David Mamet
- MMA on Tap: Joe Camacho signs two-year deal with EXC
- MMA Madness: Chael Sonnen left hanging when Paulo Filho quits
- MMA Betting Blog: UFC FN 13 odds released
- Charles Jay: Oscar De La Hoya’s MMA entry is nothing to dismiss
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro Elite, UFC, WEC, Zach Arnold | 19 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
DREAM 3/15 Saitama Super Arena
By Zach Arnold | March 15, 2008
Spoilers. Plus, here’s a live event report. Brent Brookhouse has a recap. MMA Opinion also has a recap.
The claimed paid attendance for the show was 19,120.
Also, here are the videos of the fights on Daily Motion…
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: DREAM, Japan, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 44 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
That Never Back Down movie must be lousy…
By Zach Arnold | March 14, 2008
- Denis Martins: Paulo Fliho in rehab, out of WEC fight
- WEC HP: Company statement on Paulo Filho
- Mike Coughlin: Thoughts on the DREAM debut event
- The Princeton Daily Clarion (Indiana): Ex-PCHS grappler John Turner dreams of ultimate fighting crown
- The Daily Record (UK): Cage fighters look for respect despite ‘cockfighting’ claims
- The News & Observer: ‘Never Back Down’ — someone should have backed down
- Film.com: Review – Never Back Down should Never Be Watched
- The Kansas City Star: ‘Never Back Down’ – 1 star
- The Winnipeg Sun: Karate Kid on ‘roids
- The Globe and Mail (Canada): From the couch to the cage
- Steve Sievert: UFC welcome in Mark Cuban’s house
Topics: DREAM, HDNet, Media, MMA, UFC, WEC, Zach Arnold | 12 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Cage Rage Drug Testing Policy Claims First Victim
By Iain Liddle | March 13, 2008
Cage Rage today announced the name of the first fighter to have fallen foul of their recently introduced drug testing policy.
John Phillips (6-1-0 1NC) tested positive for what was only identified as a banned substance and the result of his recent fight against Jake Bostwick (3-4-0 1NC) has been officially changed to a no contest.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Iain Liddle, MMA, UK | 15 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Thursday trash talk (3/13/08)
By Zach Arnold | March 13, 2008
MMA Junkie reports that NBC & Strikeforce are close to announcing a TV deal.
The Fightworks Podcast will be at the BJJ Pan-Ams on March 30th in Carson, California. Join Caleb and his super-high listenership of 600,000 for breakfast that day at R & R Soul Food Restaurant.
Friendly reminder — make sure to listen to the latest edition of Fight Opinion Radio.
Onto today’s headlines.
- Tim Leidecker: M-1 team challenge event coming up in Holland
- The Los Angeles Times: MMA films have a chokehold on action
- MMA Mania: ‘Never Back Down’ movie review
- MMA Canada: Rating the new MMA film ‘Never Back Down’
- Miami Herald: Sean Faris steps up in Never Back Down
- The London Free Press (Canada): Thursday ticket – ultimate warrior
- Broadcasting & Cable: Sports Industry sees opportunity in recession (note the part in the article about UFC)
- MMA Junkie: With lessons learned, Hermes Franca wants back in UFC
- MMA Analyst: Dear Fedor… you are slowly losing a fan
- MMA Opinion: Reflections of a Ken Shamrock fan
- The Union of Grass Valley (CA): Kickboxer Lisa Jeanson may make the move to MMA
- MMA California: Stagr/Gladiator Challenge ticket promotion
- Press release: Ricardo Almeida jiu-jitsu school grand opening in Hamilton, New Jersey
- Matthew Yglesias: John McCain enters the Octagon (with a run-in from Luke Thomas the political junkie)
- Luke Thomas: Fact checking Gary Shaw
Topics: DREAM, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, StrikeForce, UFC, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |