Dongi "The Ox" Yang

CageCraze.com caught up with Dongi “The Ox” Yang of Korean Top Team as he trained at Derby City MMA in Louisville, Kentucky, in preparation for his middleweight bout against Rob Kimmons on the preliminary card of “UFC on Versus 3.” “The Ox” rattled off nine straight stoppage victories before entering the UFC. Yang’s first venture in the UFC ended with a split-decision loss to “The Ultimate Fighter Season 11″ cast member, Chris Camozzi. Most people had Yang winning the first two rounds of that fight but the judges at UFC 121 did not see it the same way. Yang won over many UFC fans with his performance against Camozzi and he brings his exciting style to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on March 3.

The man standing across the octagon from Yang this Thursday night will be UFC veteran Rob Kimmons. Kimmons holds a 3-3 record in the UFC, and his overall record is 23-6. Rob Kimmons has been stopped by Kyle Noke, Jorge Rivera, and Dan Miller during his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Kimmons will undoubtedly be hungry coming into the match-up with Yang as he has a chance to improve his UFC record to 4-3. We had a chance to ask Dongi “The Ox” Yang about the matchup with Kimmons, and how his training has gone thus far in Louisville.

"The Korean Zombie" and "The Ox"

We first met up with Yang and his Korean Top Team teammates last Wednesday when he arrived in Louisville at Derby City MMA. He was admittedly tired from the long journey to Kentucky but we still got to hang around and watch him train with his teammate, Chan Sung “The Korean Zombie” Jung, and coach, Dongjin Ha. CageCraze.com caught up with Yang once again over the weekend, and asked how he felt after a few days in country:

“I’m feeling good. Now we’re just down to cutting the excess weight. Right now I’m a little over 20lbs over (207lbs on Sunday, the fight’s on Thursday). I prepped really hard for this fight and I [am] ready to go.”

A little over two weeks ago, Dongi Yang’s camp was looking for a gym in Louisville that had a cage so that he could properly train for his fight. We suggested that Korean Top Team look into training at Derby City MMA because they have a full cage, which is exactly what they wanted to find. We were curious to see how the local gym was working out, and how it compared to other gyms that Yang had trained in over the course of his career:

“Derby City is a really nice gym. Lots of really friendly people there, too. Derek [Cissell, owner] was super friendly and it’s been a huge help to be able to work out there. One big benefit is the cage. Unfortunately, we don’t have a cage at Korean Top Team, so being able to work out in one is helpful.”

Chan Sung Jung and Dongi Yang

One thing on our minds was the effect that the split-decision loss to Chris Camozzi had on Yang’s mentality and his training regimen. Even though many people believe Yang was robbed in that fight, Yang was very humble and made no excuses for the loss:

“I think I could have been a little better prepared as far my stamina. So, that’s probably one thing I concentrated on a little more on this time around, but other than that, I haven’t really changed anything with my training.”

Rob Kimmons is much more experienced than Dongi Yang, but has had trouble when moving up to face tougher competition. We asked Yang how he felt he matched up with Rob Kimmons, and whether or not he sees any weaknesses in Kimmons’ fighting that he can exploit on Thursday night:

“He definitely has a lot of experience and no glaring weaknesses in his game. I’d like to keep the fight standing, which is where I feel most comfortable, but even if it goes to the ground, I’m confident that I can control the pace.”

Dongi would like to thank his sponsors and teammates for helping him prepare for “UFC on Versus 3″ in Louisville:

“Yeah, I [would] like to thank my sponsors Sseda, Mutnam.com, Plus, Dr. Ihm of SL Ophthamology, Dr. Hwang and my coaches at Korean Top Team, Coach Ha and Coach Jeon.”

CageCraze.com would like to thank Jeffrey Madden and Brian Rhee for helping with the logistics and translation for this interview. We would also like to thank Derek Cissell of Derby City MMA for giving us access to the gym for photos of Dongi Yang’s training sessions.

“UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs Kampmann” takes place on Thursday, March 3, in Louisville, Kentucky. The UFC announced that this event will be the first UFC event to be broadcast in 3D. The event will air live on Versus at 9:00PM ET. Visit UFC.com for more information on this event.  CageCraze.com is your MMA Social Network dedicated to connecting, promoting, covering and improving local MMA everywhere. Create your free profile today, and stay connected with local MMA Everywhere!

Dongi "The Ox" Yang

CageCraze.com caught up with Dongi “The Ox” Yang of Korean Top Team as he trained at Derby City MMA in Louisville, Kentucky, in preparation for his middleweight bout against Rob Kimmons on the preliminary card of “UFC on Versus 3.” “The Ox” rattled off nine straight stoppage victories before entering the UFC. Yang’s first venture in the UFC ended with a split-decision loss to “The Ultimate Fighter Season 11″ cast member, Chris Camozzi. Most people had Yang winning the first two rounds of that fight but the judges at UFC 121 did not see it the same way. Yang won over many UFC fans with his performance against Camozzi and he brings his exciting style to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on March 3.

The man standing across the octagon from Yang this Thursday night will be UFC veteran Rob Kimmons. Kimmons holds a 3-3 record in the UFC, and his overall record is 23-6. Rob Kimmons has been stopped by Kyle Noke, Jorge Rivera, and Dan Miller during his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Kimmons will undoubtedly be hungry coming into the match-up with Yang as he has a chance to improve his UFC record to 4-3. We had a chance to ask Dongi “The Ox” Yang about the matchup with Kimmons, and how his training has gone thus far in Louisville.

"The Korean Zombie" and "The Ox"

We first met up with Yang and his Korean Top Team teammates last Wednesday when he arrived in Louisville at Derby City MMA. He was admittedly tired from the long journey to Kentucky but we still got to hang around and watch him train with his teammate, Chan Sung “The Korean Zombie” Jung, and coach, Dongjin Ha. CageCraze.com caught up with Yang once again over the weekend, and asked how he felt after a few days in country:

“I’m feeling good. Now we’re just down to cutting the excess weight. Right now I’m a little over 20lbs over (207lbs on Sunday, the fight’s on Thursday). I prepped really hard for this fight and I [am] ready to go.”

A little over two weeks ago, Dongi Yang’s camp was looking for a gym in Louisville that had a cage so that he could properly train for his fight. We suggested that Korean Top Team look into training at Derby City MMA because they have a full cage, which is exactly what they wanted to find. We were curious to see how the local gym was working out, and how it compared to other gyms that Yang had trained in over the course of his career:

“Derby City is a really nice gym. Lots of really friendly people there, too. Derek [Cissell, owner] was super friendly and it’s been a huge help to be able to work out there. One big benefit is the cage. Unfortunately, we don’t have a cage at Korean Top Team, so being able to work out in one is helpful.”

Chan Sung Jung and Dongi Yang

One thing on our minds was the effect that the split-decision loss to Chris Camozzi had on Yang’s mentality and his training regimen. Even though many people believe Yang was robbed in that fight, Yang was very humble and made no excuses for the loss:

“I think I could have been a little better prepared as far my stamina. So, that’s probably one thing I concentrated on a little more on this time around, but other than that, I haven’t really changed anything with my training.”

Rob Kimmons is much more experienced than Dongi Yang, but has had trouble when moving up to face tougher competition. We asked Yang how he felt he matched up with Rob Kimmons, and whether or not he sees any weaknesses in Kimmons’ fighting that he can exploit on Thursday night:

“He definitely has a lot of experience and no glaring weaknesses in his game. I’d like to keep the fight standing, which is where I feel most comfortable, but even if it goes to the ground, I’m confident that I can control the pace.”

Dongi would like to thank his sponsors and teammates for helping him prepare for “UFC on Versus 3″ in Louisville:

“Yeah, I [would] like to thank my sponsors Sseda, Mutnam.com, Plus, Dr. Ihm of SL Ophthamology, Dr. Hwang and my coaches at Korean Top Team, Coach Ha and Coach Jeon.”

CageCraze.com would like to thank Jeffrey Madden and Brian Rhee for helping with the logistics and translation for this interview. We would also like to thank Derek Cissell of Derby City MMA for giving us access to the gym for photos of Dongi Yang’s training sessions.

“UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs Kampmann” takes place on Thursday, March 3, in Louisville, Kentucky. The UFC announced that this event will be the first UFC event to be broadcast in 3D. The event will air live on Versus at 9:00PM ET. Visit UFC.com for more information on this event.  CageCraze.com is your MMA Social Network dedicated to connecting, promoting, covering and improving local MMA everywhere. Create your free profile today, and stay connected with local MMA Everywhere!

Dongi "The Ox" Yang

CageCraze.com caught up with Dongi “The Ox” Yang of Korean Top Team as he trained at Derby City MMA in Louisville, Kentucky, in preparation for his middleweight bout against Rob Kimmons on the preliminary card of “UFC on Versus 3.” “The Ox” rattled off nine straight stoppage victories before entering the UFC. Yang’s first venture in the UFC ended with a split-decision loss to “The Ultimate Fighter Season 11″ cast member, Chris Camozzi. Most people had Yang winning the first two rounds of that fight but the judges at UFC 121 did not see it the same way. Yang won over many UFC fans with his performance against Camozzi and he brings his exciting style to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on March 3.

The man standing across the octagon from Yang this Thursday night will be UFC veteran Rob Kimmons. Kimmons holds a 3-3 record in the UFC, and his overall record is 23-6. Rob Kimmons has been stopped by Kyle Noke, Jorge Rivera, and Dan Miller during his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Kimmons will undoubtedly be hungry coming into the match-up with Yang as he has a chance to improve his UFC record to 4-3. We had a chance to ask Dongi “The Ox” Yang about the matchup with Kimmons, and how his training has gone thus far in Louisville.

"The Korean Zombie" and "The Ox"

We first met up with Yang and his Korean Top Team teammates last Wednesday when he arrived in Louisville at Derby City MMA. He was admittedly tired from the long journey to Kentucky but we still got to hang around and watch him train with his teammate, Chan Sung “The Korean Zombie” Jung, and coach, Dongjin Ha. CageCraze.com caught up with Yang once again over the weekend, and asked how he felt after a few days in country:

“I’m feeling good. Now we’re just down to cutting the excess weight. Right now I’m a little over 20lbs over (207lbs on Sunday, the fight’s on Thursday). I prepped really hard for this fight and I [am] ready to go.”

A little over two weeks ago, Dongi Yang’s camp was looking for a gym in Louisville that had a cage so that he could properly train for his fight. We suggested that Korean Top Team look into training at Derby City MMA because they have a full cage, which is exactly what they wanted to find. We were curious to see how the local gym was working out, and how it compared to other gyms that Yang had trained in over the course of his career:

“Derby City is a really nice gym. Lots of really friendly people there, too. Derek [Cissell, owner] was super friendly and it’s been a huge help to be able to work out there. One big benefit is the cage. Unfortunately, we don’t have a cage at Korean Top Team, so being able to work out in one is helpful.”

Chan Sung Jung and Dongi Yang

One thing on our minds was the effect that the split-decision loss to Chris Camozzi had on Yang’s mentality and his training regimen. Even though many people believe Yang was robbed in that fight, Yang was very humble and made no excuses for the loss:

“I think I could have been a little better prepared as far my stamina. So, that’s probably one thing I concentrated on a little more on this time around, but other than that, I haven’t really changed anything with my training.”

Rob Kimmons is much more experienced than Dongi Yang, but has had trouble when moving up to face tougher competition. We asked Yang how he felt he matched up with Rob Kimmons, and whether or not he sees any weaknesses in Kimmons’ fighting that he can exploit on Thursday night:

“He definitely has a lot of experience and no glaring weaknesses in his game. I’d like to keep the fight standing, which is where I feel most comfortable, but even if it goes to the ground, I’m confident that I can control the pace.”

Dongi would like to thank his sponsors and teammates for helping him prepare for “UFC on Versus 3″ in Louisville:

“Yeah, I [would] like to thank my sponsors Sseda, Mutnam.com, Plus, Dr. Ihm of SL Ophthamology, Dr. Hwang and my coaches at Korean Top Team, Coach Ha and Coach Jeon.”

CageCraze.com would like to thank Jeffrey Madden and Brian Rhee for helping with the logistics and translation for this interview. We would also like to thank Derek Cissell of Derby City MMA for giving us access to the gym for photos of Dongi Yang’s training sessions.

“UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs Kampmann” takes place on Thursday, March 3, in Louisville, Kentucky. The UFC announced that this event will be the first UFC event to be broadcast in 3D. The event will air live on Versus at 9:00PM ET. Visit UFC.com for more information on this event.  CageCraze.com is your MMA Social Network dedicated to connecting, promoting, covering and improving local MMA everywhere. Create your free profile today, and stay connected with local MMA Everywhere!

AAMMA XI

CageCraze.com was cageside on Saturday night for “Absolute Action MMA presents AAMMA XI” at the Midwest Sports Complex in Florence, Kentucky. The local Pro/Am event had twelve amateur fights and two professional fights scheduled. We were treated to an amazing battle between undefeated amateur lightweights, James Mogollon and James Morton, to determine the #1 Contender for the AAMMA Lightweight Title. Headlining the card was a professional fight between Chris Mierzwiak and Brandon Pinkston, another battle of unbeaten fighters. Before the fights began it was announced that AAMMA referee Chris Kinman had been chosen by the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority (KBWA) to referee at the upcoming UFC on Versus event at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. George Conley, one of the judges for AAMMA XI, will also be representing the KBWA as a judge for some of the fights on the UFC card in Louisville next week. Kinman and Conley will likely be used on the unaired portion of the event but if things work out they may get a chance to oversee a fight on the main card. Please read below for the quick results and full recap of AAMMA XI, feel free to comment on the article as well. We want to read opinions from local mma “insiders” that saw the event so join in the discussion below!

Amateur Fights

Christian throws a kick

Jon Christian vs Adam Cogswell

Jon Christian and Adam Cogswell went the distance in the first fight of the night and battled each other to a majority draw. Christian was taken down immediately as his kick was caught by Cogswell at the start of the fight. Christian did a good job of stymieing Cogswell’s offense but was unable to work back to his feet for the rest of the round. Christian did look for an armbar as the first round came to a close but he could not get the finish and Cogswell broke free as the round ended. A point was deducted from Cogswell in the second round for an illegal up-kick which probably cost Cogswell the fight. Cogswell’s corner did not like the call and though that the kick was legal. Cogswell went for an anaconda choke and a triangle choke in this round, and also took Christian’s back and landed several solid shots from the back as he tried to flatten Christian. The point deduction turned a 10-9 round for Cogswell into a 9-9 round. Jon Christian came alive in the final round, scoring on the feet with kicks and then on the ground with punches from the full mount. Christian worked a rear naked choke as time expired to clinch the round. The decision was announced as a majority decision victory for Jon Christian, but Angela Robertson from the KBWA walked over moments later to let us know that the announcement was incorrect, and that the fight had been scored a majority draw.

Adam Prince vs Matt McDaniel

Team Warcry’s Adam Prince brought a quick end to this fight with a KO just 0:43 into the fight. The end came after Prince caught a body kick from McDaniel and then connected with two right hands to send “The Magic Man” crashing to the canvas. Prince went on to say that he will be dropping down to light heavyweight to make a run at the AAMMA 205-lb title.

Derrick Weisenberger vs Brandon Windisch

Team Warcry recorded their second win of the night after Derrick Weisenberger submitted Brandon Windisch at 1:24 in the second round. Weisenberger almost finished the fight in the first round after Windisch slammed Weisenberger and fell into a guillotine. Windisch was able to work his way out of the choke but could not escape in the second round after a nearly identical situation unfolded.

Ryan Roberts vs Matthew Perkins

Ryan Roberts gave Matthew Perkins a rude welcome to the world of amateur MMA by scoring a KO victory just 0:10 into the fight. Perkins was overwhelmed by Roberts and eventually dropped with a right hand. Roberts moves to 1-1 as an amateur while Perkins enters the books at 0-1 after losing his debut.

Virgil Lackey III vs Anthony Stamm

Virgil Lackey III put on a dominant performance to stop Anthony Stamm with strikes at 2:42 in the third round. Lackey punished Stamm for the majority of the fight, solidly winning rounds one and two before heading into the final round. Lackey landed an illegal knee in the third round that cost him a point, but Stamm was okay to continue and the fight went on. Stamm is a very tough fighter, not many people could have withstood the relentless ground-and-pound attack of Virgil Lackey III. Lackey would get the fight to the ground and transition from side control to mount Stamm. Stamm rolled over to cover up and that is all he could do as blows rained down upon him, forcing Chris Kinman to step in and stop the fight with just 0:18 remaining in the bout.

Skelton tosses McKenzie

Brittany Skelton vs Chris McKenzie

Brittany Skelton was too much for Chris McKenzie to handle as McKenzie was forced to verbally submit 1:44 into the first round. Skelton connected with a straight right at the start of the bout and then almost upended McKenzie with a leg kick. Skelton backed McKenzie into the cage an unloaded, eventually dropping his opponent with a right hand. McKenzie survived the onslaught and was able to stand but a few more shots on the feet prompted McKenzie to motion to Kinman that he wanted out of the fight and Kinman obliged, stopping the contest at 1:44 in the first round.

McClain pounces on Scheming

Shane McClain vs Lucas Scheming

Shane McClain has come into his own over the course of the past year and he earned a title shot by dispatching Lucas Scheming via TKO at 0:13 into the first round. McClain landed a vicious left-right-left combo that floored Scheming and then followed up on the ground to force Chris Kinman to swoop in and save Scheming from further damage. Look for Shane McClain to fight for the AAMMA Middleweight Title in April.

Miller tightens the triangle

Joel Miller vs Deric Reece

Joel Miller handed Deric Reece his first loss with a submission victory in the second round. Miller and Reece had a very close battle in the first round, with both fighters scoring on the feet with kicks and punches. Joel Miller grabbed a knee from Reece and took Reece down. Miller quickly worked to full mount but couldn’t finish Reece. The fight went to the ground once again in round two as both fighters tried to work trips at the same time, with Reece throwing Miller to the ground. Miller used the momentum of the takedown to roll Reece over and get on top. Miller mounted Reece and then went for a triangle from the top. Miller locked the choke in and rolled over to finish Reece at 2:03 in the second round.

James Mogollon vs James Morton

James Mogollon won a tough decision against James Morton to become the #1 Contender for the AAMMA Lightweight Title. Mogollon landed more quality strikes throughout the first round but Morton bloodied Mogollon late in the first round with knees from the clinch. Those knees made the first round very hard to score and could have gone either way. Mogollon and Morton traded on the feet to open the second round. Mogollon landed his jab several times and Morton continued to score with knees, but they did not do much damage. Mogollon went on to take Morton down and then controlled Morton for most of the round on the canvas. Morton worked to his feet and landed a kick but then ate a hard right-left combo as the round ended. Morton used his clinch work in round three to throw several knees but Mogollon did a good job of blocking most of them. Mogollon managed to get another takedown but Morton worked back to his feet immediately. Round three ended with Mogollon working a trip as the horn sounded. Mogollon won a unanimous decision and should be fighting for the AAMMA 155-lb belt in April.

Duprie Moon Jr vs Lonnie Mosley

Duprie Moon, Jr., came away with a decision victory over Lonnie Mosley after a very gutsy performance. The fight went back and forth with both men scoring on the feet. Duprie Moon landed the better shots over the course of the fight and also took Mosley down. By the end of the fight both fighters were exhausted. A tired Duprie Moon landed several big shots in the end of the third round but did not have enough in him to finish Mosley. The judges gave Duprie Moon, Jr., the unanimous decision.

Boehm submits Van Zijl

Zachary Boehm vs Pieter Van Zijl

Zachary Boehm dominated Pieter Van Zijl to remain undefeated, finishing Van Zijl with a rear naked choke in the final round. Van Zijl came into the fight undefeated but never found an answer for Boehm’s ground-and-pound. Boehm punished Van Zijl with strikes from the top throughout all three rounds. The end of the fight came in the third round after a failed guillotine attempt from Van Zijl allowed Boehm to take his back. Boehm worked patiently from Van Zijl’s back to flatten him out and then go for a rear naked choke. After softening Van Zijl with punches, Boehm locked on the choke and forced the tap at 2:33 in the third round.

Shaun Asher vs Michael Gay

Shaun Asher made a triumphant return to the AAMMA cage by forcing Michael Gay to tap to strikes in the first round. Asher overpowered Gay and landed punches from the top. All Michael Gay could do was cover up and try to protect himself. Gay struggled to buck Asher off but was unable to do so and Asher followed up with strikes that forced Gay to roll over and give up his back. Michael Gay tapped after a few seconds of Asher landing bombs from the top. The submission ended the fight at 1:28 in the first round.

Professional Fights

Brandon Suber vs Chris Bennett

Mogollon vs Morton was a great fight but Suber and Bennett put on the fight of the night. Brandon Suber defeated Chris Bennett via unanimous decision in a fight where neither combatant quit fighting until the horn sounded. Both fighters seemed comfortable standing and on the ground so we were treated to dozens of transitions throughout the fight. If you have ever seen Chris Bennett fight, you know that he is always looking for an armbar whenever he is on the ground. Tonight was no different except for the fact that Brandon Suber was able to escape several armbar attempts while on top of Bennett, and executed solid ground-and-pound techniques to win the judges over on the scorecards. Bennett landed several hard shots on the feet but Suber kept moving forward, landing kicks and punches of his own before going for takedowns. Chris Bennett looked frustrated at many points in the fight, a testament to Suber’s ability to stifle Bennett’s gameplan and control the fight. It is a hard loss for Bennett to take but it is the type of loss that should help him grow as a fighter. Brandon Suber moved to 1-1 in his professional MMA career with the win, while Bennett drops to 3-2.

Mierzwiak wins via armbar

Chris Mierzwiak vs Brandon Pinkston

Team Jorge Gurgel’s Chris Mierzwiak moved to 3-0 as a professional with a quick submission victory via armbar. Mierzwiak opened the fight with a body kick and both fighters went to the ground. Mierzwiak immediately isolated an arm and the pulled it into an armbar. Pinkston stood up but Chris Mierzwiak held on, somehow. Pinkston dropped to the ground to try and shake Mierzwiak off but the armbar was locked in and Pinkston was forced to tap just 0:35 into the fight. There has been a lot of buzz about Mierzwiak lately and many people close to his camp have told us that they will be surprised if he is not in the UFC by the end of the year.

Quick Results

Amateur Fights

Jon Christian vs Adam Cogswell declared a Majority Draw

Adam Prince def Matt McDaniel via KO at 0:43 in Rd.1

Derrick Weisenberger def Brandon Windisch via Submission (guillotine) at 1:24 in Rd.2

Ryan Roberts def Matthew Perkins via KO (punch) at 0:10 in Rd.1

Virgil Lackey III def Anthony Stamm via TKO/RSC at 2:42 in Rd.3

Brittany Skelton def Chris McKenzie via Verbal Submission at 1:44 in Rd.1

Shane McClain def Lucas Scheming via TKO/RSC at 0:13 in Rd.1

Joel Miller def Deric Reece via Submission (triangle) at 2:03 in Rd.2

James Mogollon def James Morton via Unanimous Decision at 3:00 in Rd.3

Duprie Moon Jr def Lonnie Mosley via Unanimous Decision at 3:00 in Rd.3

Zachary Boehm def Pieter Van Zijl via Submission (rear naked choke) at 2:33 in Rd.3

Shaun Asher def Michael Gay via Submission (strikes) at 1:28 in Rd.1

Pro Fights

Brandon Suber def Chris Bennett via Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in Rd.3

Chris Mierzwiak def Brandon Pinkston via Submission (armbar) at 0:35 in Rd.1

CageCraze.com is your MMA Social Network dedicated to connecting, promoting, covering and improving local MMA everywhere. Create your free profile today, and stay connected with local MMA Everywhere!

Hardrock MMA 31: Private Event

Hardrock MMA held a private show in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday night. The show was closed to the public but the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority was there to oversee all of the action inside of the cage. There were six professional fights and three amateur fights, including a bout to decide the Hardrock MMA Heavyweight Title between Andrew Fogg and Josh Walker. CageCraze.com was the only media allowed inside for the event so please check out our results below and come back later for the exclusive recap of all of the fights. Due to this event being private, we were unable to take any photos or video.

Quick Results

Amateur Fights

Daniel Ware def Caleb Miller via Unanimous Decision at 3:00 in Rd. 3

Andrew Fogg def Josh Walker via Submission (strikes) at 1:10 in Rd. 3 – HW Title Fight

Matt Metts def Alvin Miller via Submission (armbar) at 2:44 in Rd. 1

Professional Fights

Derek Sawyer def Sha-la Edwards via Submission (rear naked choke) at 1:40 in Rd. 1

Rick Borders def Chancellor Edmonson via Submission (armbar) at 1:33 in Rd. 1

Brandon Howard def Jason Jones via TKO at 0:38 in Rd. 1

Justin Pennington def Jesse Grindstaff via TKO at 1:44 in Rd. 1

Jeremy Myers def Steven Durr via Unanimous Decision at 3:00 in Rd. 3

Zach Sanders def TJ Barber via TKO at 4:58 in Rd. 2

CageCraze.com is your MMA Social Network dedicated to connecting, promoting, covering and improving local MMA everywhere. Create your free profile today, and stay connected with local MMA Everywhere!

Bellator Signs Top Ten Featherweight and Former Sengoku Champion Marlon Sandro to 145 lbs Roster

World number six-ranked featherweight and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Marlon Sandro will make his U.S debut under the Bellator Fighting Championships banner, officials announced today.  The Sengoku, Pancrase, and Shooto veteran will not participate in the upcoming Season 4 Featherweight Tournament which airs LIVE beginning in March, but will make his debut in 2011.

“Marlon Sandro is a phenomenal talent at 145,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Our Featherweight division is absolutely stacked and Sandro pushes that talent pool to an even higher level, I’m thrilled to have him on board.”

The former Sengoku Featherweight Champion and reigning Featherweight King of Pancrase brings an extremely impressive 17-2 professional record to Bellator, which includes seven TKO or KOs and three submission victories.  Taking his first professional MMA fight in 2004, Sandro maintained a 5 year, 14 fight win-streak prior to his first career loss – a must-decide split decision to Michihiro Omigawa in the Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix Semifinals.

Recently compiling a string of devastating knockouts, Sandro’s last four victories have come via TKO or KO, – all in the first round – with a total fight time of just 3:39.

Residing and fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sandro currently trains along side UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo with Team Nova Uniao.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago.  Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

About MTV2

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

Richard “Rare Breed” Hale Joins Bellator’s Light Heavyweight Tournament in Season 4

Bellator Fighting Championships continues to add to its Light Heavyweight Tournament, this time adding powerful Ohio native Richard “Rare Breed” Hale to the competition that airs LIVE Saturdays on MTV2. Hale now has the opportunity at picking up a $100,000 paycheck while becoming the first Bellator World Light Heavyweight Champion.

“Richard is another guy we have had our eye on for a while, and his size and experience should enable him to make some noise this season,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Now fighting out of Tempe, Arizona, Hale (15-3-1) began his MMA journey in 2006 just days after being invited to a local MMA event a friend of his was competing in. Now almost five years later, the training has paid off, as the 25-year-old Hale has held Rage in the Cage Championships in three different weight classes, including Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight, and Super Heavyweight.

After giving more than 40 pounds away to opponents in the past, Hale is thrilled to enter the tournament fighting at 205, stating, “Iabsolutely feel like I’m more powerful and explosive at 205 pounds,” said the 6’4” Hale. “My strength and my stamina is better, and just everything all around. With the weight cut and everything, it pushes me to be a better athlete.”

With 13 finishes in 15 victories, Hale is anxious to put his crowd pleasing style on display LIVE on MTV2 during Bellator Season 4.

“I’m looking at this tournament as an opportunity to display my skills to the world,” said Hale. “I feel like this is my opportunity to make a statement and I’m absolutely going to take advantage of it. I’m not coming to Bellator just to put on a fight; I’m coming to put on an entertaining fight. This is an entertainment sport, so my opponents have to be ready for anything.”

Hale is the fifth confirmed participant in the Light Heavyweight tournament, joining Nik “The Machete” Fekete, Chris Davis, D.J. Linderman, and Tim Carpenter.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago.  Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

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MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

UFC 127: Penn vs Fitch will be the focus of this installment of the North-South Position as CageCraze.com staff writers Brian Hemminger and Chad Cunningham preview the main card fights and offer their predictions on how each bout will turn out.  The main event of this card, which is taking place down under in Australia will be a welterweight showdown between former lightweight and welterweight champion “The Prodigy” BJ Penn and former welterweight title challenger Jon Fitch.

Also on the main card is a grudge match between middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Jorge Rivera.  Rivera has stepped up the trash talk this past week and Bisping appears to have taken offense.

Hometown favorite George Sotiropoulos will bring his 7 fight win streak in the UFC to the cage against fellow contender Dennis Siver in a battle to remain on top of the lightweight division.  In other main card action, Chris “Lights Out” Lytle will battle injury replacement Brian Ebersole in welterweight action and Ultimate Fighter season 11 veterans Kyle Noke and Chris Camozzi will do battle in the middleweight division.

Chad again defeated Brian two weeks ago so once again Chad has chosen the punishments for Brian. The first punishment is that Brian will have to name his first child “Baby Jay Penn Hemminger.” The second punishment will be that Brian will have to find a way to reference a line from “Down Under” by Men at Work in all of his predictions below. Please read below to see how the vagabond from Toledo accomplishes that task:

BJ Penn vs Jon Fitch

(Chad) I am going to go with Jon Fitch in this one, hands down. I do not want to see BJ Penn vs GSP III. Say what you want about the style of Jon Fitch, he will get it done by outworking BJ Penn for three rounds. Fitch will get BJ to the mat early in the fight and punish him with his grueling brand of “guard-and-pound.” I am tired of waiting for the “old” BJ Penn to come back around. Penn looked great against Matt Hughes but we will just have to see how Penn’s cardio holds up to being held down and beaten for three rounds by Jon Fitch. Not mincing words with this one, Fitch by unanimous decision.

(Brian) The smart choice here is Jon Fitch.  He has imposed his will on every opponent he’s ever faced in the UFC sans Georges St. Pierre with his wrestling and top control.  They even invented a new MMA verb, “Fitching”, for when an opponent is being dominated in the cage but not finished.  Fitch wins decisively every time, but his last eight fights have gone to decision.  That’s one of the reasons he hasn’t been given a rematch for the title.  BJ Penn is tough as nails, and he showed his power in his last fight, a 23 second knockout of former welterweight champ Matt Hughes in Detroit.  He has the jiu jitsu skills to survive against Fitch on the ground and he has a granite chin, maybe even a head full of zombie. Penn showed he can be controlled by bigger stronger wrestlers in the past and I’m going with Fitch here by unanimous decision.

Michael Bisping vs Jorge Rivera

(Brian) On paper, this fight is 100% going Michael Bisping’s way.  Jorge Rivera is older, has worse wrestling, grappling and he’s slower than Bisping.  But Rivera does hold the power advantage, and possibly a striking advantage but that’s not guaranteed.  Michael Bisping loves to stick and move, occasionally mixing in takedowns and ground and pound.  Rivera has tried to get into Bisping’s head with increasingly silly youtube videos that mock the British MMA star.  They appear to be working as Bisping seemed riled up at the press conference and the weigh-ins this week.  If Bisping loses his composure in the cage, Rivera has a great chance of catching him and knocking him out, screaming “Can’t you hear the thunder?” in the process.  I have a gut feeling though, that Bisping will stick to the gameplan and even possibly incorporate some big ground and pound to take away a decision against “The Conquistador.”

(Chad) What to do, what to do? I want Rivera to take this one, and I think he can, but this is a matchup that may play right into Bisping’s hands. If Bisping can stay elusive he can avoid Rivera’s power and turn this into an ugly scrap like he has done so many times before. Rivera definitely has the striking advantage and we have already seen Bisping get “Bisping-ed” by Rivera at the UFC 127 presser. I see Bisping coming into this fight trying to out-strike Rivera and paying for it. I think that Rivera will hurt Bisping on the feet early, but Bisping will hold on until late in the second round. Rivera silences Bisping, for now, with a second round TKO.

George Sotiropoulos vs Dennis Siver

(Brian) George Sotiropoulos has been living in the land down under for quite some time now.  The native Australian is on one of the biggest hotstreaks in the UFC and is currently riding a seven fight win streak in the promotion.  Sotiropoulos has some of the best grappling in the lightweight division and improving striking.  He’ll need all of it against Siver.  Siver, who hails from Germany is a compact lightweight with excellent kickboxing skills.  No one can forget his two fights in ’09 that he finished via spinning back kick to the liver/ribs.  While Siver is dangerous on his feet, he’s also got an underrated submission game.  The purple belt in BJJ has more wins by submission (9) than by knockout (5) including his submission of the night performance against Andre Winner at UFC 122.  Regardless, I think Sotiropoulos controls Siver with his reach and top control to secure a decision victory.

(Chad) I cannot and will not pick against Sotiropoulos fighting in Australia. He has never lost in the UFC and he will not lose this fight either. Sotiropoulos has Siver beat on the ground so Siver’s best chance is to keep this fight standing and look for big shots. I see Sotiropoulos getting this fight to the ground and finishing Siver with a Kimura in round two.

Chris Lytle vs Brian Ebersole

(Brian) I was very disappointed when Carlos Condit dropped out of this fight with injury.  Lytle/Condit had “Fight of the Year” written all over it.  Ebersole is a talented replacement though.  While he doesn’t come from the land down under, Ebersole is a transplant to Australia.  The native midwestern fighter has fought in Australia in 14 of his last 16 bouts, and has reeled off an impressive seven straight.  Lytle is on a win streak as well, having won four straight in the UFC including getting revenge against Matt Serra in his last fight at UFC 119.  Lytle is a veteran who has seemed to put it together recently and I don’t think the injury replacement Ebersole will have much of an answer for that.  I’m going with Lytle by submission in the 2nd round.

(Chad) Ebersole is a late replacement for Carlos Condit and he has the unfortunate task of facing Chris Lytle on short notice. Chris Lytle is always going to put on an exciting fight and I forsee this being no different. Chris Lytle is on a four-fight run in the UFC and I think he notches his fifth win in a row by overwhelming Ebersole. I think that Ebersole’s experience will allow him to make this an entertaining fight but Chris Lytle will win all three rounds on his way to a unanimous decision.

Kyle Noke vs Chris Camozzi

(Brian) Noke and Camozzi are both veterans of season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter.  Each man performed admirably on the show and has gone 2-0 in the promotion since the season finished.  This will be a big test to find out which will make it to the next level.  Noke will have the homefield advantage hailing from Australia while Camozzi is a native of the land of plenty, the US.  Each man has something to prove but I think at some point, Noke will take control of the fight.  He’ll land a big shot and scream “you better run, you better take cover” and eventually score a TKO victory in the end of the first round.

(Chad) These two fighters really need to prove something in this fight. Neither one of them are known for their explosive striking skills but Kyle Noke comes into the fight having finished three of his last four opponents. Camozzi enters this bout after defeating Dongi Yang via a split decision in which many thought he lost. I think that Kyle Noke will be able to do well against Camozzi when the fight goes to the ground, and it will. Kyle Noke via submission late in round three.

Liz “Girl-Rilla’’ Carmouche

Undefeated Liz “Girl-Rilla’’ Carmouche (6-0) has replaced an injured Miesha Tate and will face STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Welterweight Champion Marloes Coenen on Saturday, March 5, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tate, the No. 1 contender at 135 pounds, was forced to withdraw after suffering a knee injury during training.

Carmouche, of San Diego, by way of Lafayette, La., will be making her third start for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. She is coming off an impressive third-round TKO (punches) over the more-experienced, hard-hitting Jan Finney on Nov. 19, 2010. Carmouche has only gone the distance once in her career.

In her debut on SHOWTIME, the 5-foot-5, 27-year-old Carmouche registered a unanimous decision over Colleen Schneider on Aug. 13, 2010, in a “reserve bout” in the STRIKEFORCE one night, single-elimination women’s 135-pound tournament, which was won by Tate.

A member of Team Hurricane Awesome, Carmouche lived many years in Okinawa, Japan, where her father was stationed in the Air Force. At the age of 20, she joined the Marine Corps where she spent more than five years and achieved the rank of Sergeant.

Carmouche’s stint in the Marines included three tours to Iraq. Unlike many women in the military, she was attached to a GRUNT unit, which she describes as ground fighting outside of the perimeter where the rest of the units are stationed. In Iraq, she began training in Mixed Martial Arts.

Coenen, a product of Holland’s Golden Glory team, will be making the first defense of the belt she won with a dominant third-round submission (armbar) over defending belt-holder Sarah Kaufman on Oct. 9, 2010.

In the second half of a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader, Dan Henderson (26-8), of Temecula, Calif., will challenge defending champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2), of Brazil, for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) title.

American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) of Fort Bragg, N.C., will be opposed by Melvin Manhoef (24-8) , of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, at middleweight (185 pounds) and undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) of Fresno, Calif., will take on Jorge Masvidal (20-6) of Miami, Fla., at lightweight (155 pounds) in other televised bouts on SHOWTIME.

The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Tickets are on sale at Nationwide Arena ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and Ticketmaster by phone (800) 745-3000.

The first non-televised undercard bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Liz “Girl-Rilla’’ Carmouche

Undefeated Liz “Girl-Rilla’’ Carmouche (6-0) has replaced an injured Miesha Tate and will face STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Welterweight Champion Marloes Coenen on Saturday, March 5, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tate, the No. 1 contender at 135 pounds, was forced to withdraw after suffering a knee injury during training.

Carmouche, of San Diego, by way of Lafayette, La., will be making her third start for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. She is coming off an impressive third-round TKO (punches) over the more-experienced, hard-hitting Jan Finney on Nov. 19, 2010. Carmouche has only gone the distance once in her career.

In her debut on SHOWTIME, the 5-foot-5, 27-year-old Carmouche registered a unanimous decision over Colleen Schneider on Aug. 13, 2010, in a “reserve bout” in the STRIKEFORCE one night, single-elimination women’s 135-pound tournament, which was won by Tate.

A member of Team Hurricane Awesome, Carmouche lived many years in Okinawa, Japan, where her father was stationed in the Air Force. At the age of 20, she joined the Marine Corps where she spent more than five years and achieved the rank of Sergeant.

Carmouche’s stint in the Marines included three tours to Iraq. Unlike many women in the military, she was attached to a GRUNT unit, which she describes as ground fighting outside of the perimeter where the rest of the units are stationed. In Iraq, she began training in Mixed Martial Arts.

Coenen, a product of Holland’s Golden Glory team, will be making the first defense of the belt she won with a dominant third-round submission (armbar) over defending belt-holder Sarah Kaufman on Oct. 9, 2010.

In the second half of a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader, Dan Henderson (26-8), of Temecula, Calif., will challenge defending champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2), of Brazil, for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) title.

American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) of Fort Bragg, N.C., will be opposed by Melvin Manhoef (24-8) , of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, at middleweight (185 pounds) and undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) of Fresno, Calif., will take on Jorge Masvidal (20-6) of Miami, Fla., at lightweight (155 pounds) in other televised bouts on SHOWTIME.

The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Tickets are on sale at Nationwide Arena ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and Ticketmaster by phone (800) 745-3000.

The first non-televised undercard bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.