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CINCINNATI -- MMA Fighting caught up with Jordan Mein after Saturday's Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov event to talk about his successful Strikeforce debut and his punishing win over Evangelista Cyborg.
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/09/11/jordan-mein-i-think-i-can-compete-with-strikeforces-best/
Our friends at Cage Potato have come up with some great shirts in the past, but this one may be my favorite. They worked with illustrator Derek Eads to come up with a shirt that shows off some of MMA's best hairstyles.
From Roy Nelson's mullet to Fedor Emelianenko and his ice cream cones, this shirt captures many of MMA's best looks. It can be yours for just $22. You'll be the coolest kid on the MMA block.
Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2011/09/08/nick-diaz-comments-on-removal-from-ufc-137-main-event/
Moving up from the Lites class to the full time 17 rounds in the premier 450 Supercross class is a big step for any racer. Making it a double whammy, Kyle Regal is also going from Privateer Status to a full Factory Sam Manuel L & M Yamaha ride.
Kyle rode a few 450 Supercross rounds last season, when he wasn’t racing in the Supercross East Coast Lites, but it was this summer Kyle really gained momentum on the 450, finishing ninth in the series final standings.
FMX in Poland: Adams invincible In front of 35,000 spectators in the City Stadium in Poznan (POL), Nate Adams came up with the big tricks on Saturday to pick up the victory and his 18th
TOKYO -- Two-time Bellator tournament finalist Toby Imada stormed onto the Shoot Boxing scene in 2010, capturing an incredible decision win over the best the sport has to offer in Andy Souwer and decisioning long-time veteran Hiroki Shishido earlier this year. The judoka's luck under the Shoot Boxing banner ran out at Korakuen Hall on Saturday night against Muay Thai stylist Bovy Sor. Udomson, Imada falling once in each round en route to losing a unanimous decision. Imada was able to make the bout exciting though, scoring a down in the second stanza and landing a plethora of heavy punches. Other MMA fighters competing under the "standing vale tudo" rules were more successful however, Bellator veteran Jessica Penne scored a shocking upset, besting promotional postergirl and two-time S-Cup winner Rena Kubota while former Sengoku star Shigeki Osawa nudged out a close decision via throws over Yusuke Sugawara. Former Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai champion Bovy Sor. Udomson (87-31 in kickboxing) went into his bout with Shoot Boxing upset-artist Toby Imada (3-2 in Shoot Boxing, 29-14 in MMA) on a five-fight losing streak, with many questioning if he was able to continue to competing at the elite levels of kickboxing. With his gutsy win over Imada, Udomson made a significant step towards proving those doubters wrong. An extremely aggressive Imada put the pressure on Udomson from the onset, the mixed martial artist looking for a knockout with winging hooks and straights and to score Shoot points with his judo. Udomson stood his ground though, countering the judo perfectly with his Muay Thai clinch and delivering hellish hook counters, catching Imada and sending him to the canvas once in each stanza during the three round bout. Imada was good enough to score his own knockdown though, Udomson caught hook across the jaw while taunting his opponent in the second. Although significantly down on the score cards Imada remained in the fight with his judo and relentless attacks but with as the final bell sounded, the points for Imada were nowhere to be found and Udomson took the decision. Bellator veteran and Shoot Boxing newcomer Jessica Penne (9-1 MMA, 1-0 Shoot Boxing) scored a massive upset and another point for the MMA fighters, snatching a huge decision over promotional poster girl, 2009 Girl's S-Cup champ and 2010 Girl's S-Cup World Champion Rena Kubota (16-5-1 kickboxing). Although Rena managed to win rounds one and three with her kicks, Penne scoring a throw for a Shoot point in the second evened the score and saw the bout go to an extension round. Rena controlled the first extension period, scoring again with her kicks but seeming very tight with her fists, consistently missing. Somehow, despite Rena's control and Penne looking winded and managing no offence, the judges rules that the bout go to a second extension period. Penne looked rejuvenated in the fifth and final round, scoring a throw midway through to give her a fight-winning Shoot point. Rena pushed to score a down or Shoot point herself but it was not forth-coming, the bout going to the judges. One apparently distracted judge somehow scored the final round a draw for the hometown favorite but the other two got it right, awarding the bout to Penne for the huge upset. Rena, whose younger sister Mio was victorious earlier in the night, is scheduled to rematch Erika Kamimura for a title under the RISE banner in November. It is not yet known whether tonight's result affects that bout. Fellow MMA fighter and former Sengoku sponsored Shigeki Osawa (1-1 Shoot Boxing, 6-1-2 MMA) also managed to pull off a significant upset, besting J-Network Super Flyweight champion Yusuke Sugawara (21-12-2 in kickboxing) with throws to take the unanimous decision. Osawa clearly lost in the kickboxing department but Osawa's impressive throws score highly under Shoot Boxing rules and the wrestler was able to win the judges favor despite taking a beating. No. 2-ranked Japanese super welterweight Satori Suzuki (6-7 in kickboxing) utilized a 4.5-inch height advantage (on paper) to brutalize No. 1-ranked Kenji Kanai (16-12 in kickboxing), dropping his opponent with punches three times in the first round to get the TKO referee stoppage in under two minutes. Kanai, although never noted as a real power-puncher, seemed to have no heat on his hands and proved easy pickings for the much taller Suzuki. Top-ranked Japanese featherweight Naguranchun Masa M16's (14-5 in kickboxing) forward pressure and aggression proved too much for No. 2-ranked Akito Sakimura (9-9 in kickboxing) in a bout to fill the vacant Shootboxing Japan featherweight title. Punches sent Sakimura to the canvas in the third, fourth and fifth rounds, with the final down leading to the referee calling the bout. The loss marks Sakimura's third title bout loss in as many attempts.
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/09/10/bovy-sor-udomson-downs-toby-imada-three-times-to-win-thriller-i/
CINCINNATI -- Yoel Romero Palacio will make his Strikeforce debut on Saturday against former light heavyweight champ Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante, a tough test in just his fifth fight. But his journey to MMA was one that prepared him for any test.
Romero wrestled for Cuba, and around the turn of the century, was one of the world's best at 84 kg. He has world and Olympic medals, including a world championship in 1999, but he defected from Cuba after a wrestling tournament in Germany in 2005.
This was a dangerous decision, because top wrestlers are well-known athletes in Cuba. He had to sell all of his belongings and leave his family. His wife and young daughter are now with him in Germany, but his six-year-old son is still in Cuba. He told Cagewriter that it was a terribly difficult decision to defect from the Communist country.
"It wasn't just Cuba. It was my family."
He coached wrestling before starting to train in MMA. Though he didn't have his first fight until 2009, MMA was on his mind even when he was still in Cuba.
"It's a sport that I think God gave me the talent to be good at, and I felt that attraction when I was in Cuba and watched a few of the first UFCs, with Royce Gracie, and his wins made me really feel a passion to try the sport. I felt like it was in me to be able to try it out," he told Cagewriter.
He hopes to find the same success and satisfaction in MMA that he did in wrestling. He has yet to have a fight go to a decision, winning all four by TKO or knockout. Romero Palacio is hoping for a true test in Cavalcante.
"I haven't been able to let it go like I wanted to because those fights were just the beginners. To let it go the way I can? I will have even better satisfaction than in wrestling."
Though wrestlers are often tagged with being boring fighters, Romero Palacio promises that fans will enjoy watching him fight.
"I always fight for the public. It's always been my style to fight for the public. I like the fans to feel satisfied with what I have done," he said. "It's going to be a gladiators fight."
But that doesn't mean that he has forgotten his roots as a wrestler. With the Olympics coming up next summer, he does have the itch to compete again. His one-time nemesis, American Cael Sanderson, is returning to competition after retiring to coach. Romero Palacio smiled at the idea of wrestling Sanderson, who beat him at the 2004 Olympics, again.
"I would love to. I want to show the world who is the world's best wrestler at that weight class. I don't think [Cael Sanderson] would like it if I came back."
Romero Palacio's bout with Feijao and the rest of the preliminary fights for Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov will air on HDNet starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Source: http://www.fighters.com/09/09/rich-franklin-tears-shoulder-labrum-out-2-3-months
