Violent Hero Powerlifting athlete and former Marine Alan Best will be competing at this year's USPF Military Nationals on May 29 in Venice Beach. To follow is a video of his performance at the 2010 America Cup where he totaled 2319 at 275, taking home best lifter honors and $1,000 in prize money among a stacked field that included Mark Bell of Super Training, Lance Karabel, and Jim Hoskinson. Best's 2,319 currently ranks him 3rd on the single ply Powerlifting Watch lifter rankings.

Video:

Being completely surprised would be an understatement to my reaction upon hearing that not only was the Din Thomas/Ricardo Mayorga fight cancelled, but that the entire Shine Fights card was canned along with it. Apparently the commission was not trust-worthy of Shine’s money, despite the fighters being confident in Shine. Most of the fighters got 25 percent of their money, while others got less than that.

I was not surprised however, that Don King decided to try and stop the card about a week before the event went down. Trying to stop the event when the fight was announced wouldn’t have yielded the type of attention Don King craves for.

If you asked a random person on the street to name a boxing promoter, I bet most people would name Don King, and maybe Oscar De La Hoya due to the Mayweather fight. It’s certainly not because of the fighters he managed, but for the extravagant look and his famous “Only in America” mantra. King fought and killed his way to the top of the boxing world thanks to the blood, and sweat of fighters like Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., Muhammad Ali, and George Foreman left in boxing rings all over the world.

King is long past his prime in the boxing world and only gets attention from the media when he introduces some new fighter, usually a freakishly different fighter. He’ll get the three minute segment on ESPN News during the day as the reporter tried to keep a straight face hearing King trying to sell people on this new find being a legitimate contender.

King’s legendary rivalry with Bob Arum is now a thing of the past as Arum manages fighters like Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto while King was banking on Nikolai Valuev to bring him back to greatness a few years ago. When was the last time that Don King Promotions had a heavily hyped event? What was the last Don King promoted event drew well on PPV? When was the last time Don King worked with HBO? A look at the site from Don King Promotions and you’ll notice some names Shannon Briggs (Now self-managed) Valuev, Felix Trinidad (Retired) and Ricardo Mayorga (Who sued King) on the site.

A Don King Promotions event is like that one restaurant your grandfather still goes to do. You know what I’m talking about. It’s that sort of place with the faded carpeting, the autographed photo of Old Blue Eyes (Sinatra for your kids) and former political powerhouses are near the register. The food is over-priced and the veal is overcooked. Your grandfather still goes there because the people there know him and he always gives the waiter a big tip at the end of the night.

King has famously cheated fighters like Tyson, Ali, Larry Holmes, and Chris Byrd who have successfully sued to get their money back. Tyson 100 million dollar lawsuit alleged that King had withheld millions from Tyson over his career. Most of the suits are settled out of court with the boxers getting a fraction of what they sued for. Tyson once famously summed King up:

(King is) a wretched, slimy, reptilian motherf–. This is supposed to be my ‘black brother’ right? He’s just a bad man, a real bad man. He would kill his own mother for a dollar. He’s ruthless, he’s deplorable, and he doesn’t know how to love anybody.

My question to you, the readers of this site: Would King have tried this if Mayorga was fighting for the UFC or Strikeforce? No, those promotions have the money and attorneys to properly counter any sort of litigation by King. King went after a small, regional promotion that he knew that he could easily bulldoze without much trouble. While Shine is optimistic about returning, I’m guessing it won’t be much longer until we hear that they are closing up shop. Shine was looking at making some sort of impact in the tough area of promoting MMA by at-least breaking even on PPV. In the end, Don King can’t sleep well at night knowing he accomplished two out of three things he is most famous for: Preventing a professional fighter to do what they do best, and take money away from them

Only in America, right?

In the wake of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s astonishing destruction of previously untouchable karateka Lyoto Machida during UFC 113, the big question on the lips of the entire MMA world now is; has the UFC finally found its true light heavyweight king?

Of course the UFC light heavyweight division has always been stacked with the most recognized and marketable fighters on the planet. The all-American poster boys that revolutionized the sport during the Zuffa inspired world-wide MMA renaissance were almost all 205-pounders. While boxing had the heavyweights, the UFC had the light heavies.

First it was Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz. He was the brash and cocky kid who brutalised an under skilled division with his god given strength and vicious elbows inside the guard. Then it was Randy “The Natural” Couture, or simply “Captain America.” He was the ageless and affable American hero who made a habit of shocking the world with his grit and world class wrestling ability. And finally it was Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell. He was the mohawked knock-out artist with impregnable takedown defense who beat down both Ortiz and Couture twice on his way to becoming MMA’s first true cross-over star. Yes, since its inception on May 4 2001, the UFC light heavyweight division had always boasted a true divisional king.

Then on May 26 2007 at UFC 71, barely three weeks after becoming the first MMA fighter to grace the cover of ESPN Magazine, Liddell’s impressive run come to a somewhat embarrassing halt courtesy of a Quinton “Rampage” Jackson blazing right hook. Not only did Liddell’s nemesis shake up the entire MMA world that night, he also threw the UFC into a divisional tailspin it’s yet to fully recover from.

Three years down the road and the coveted UFC light heavyweight belt has changed hands a record five times. While Jackson made a solitary title defence against Dan Henderson at UFC 75, he soon relinquished it to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86. Griffin promptly lost it to fellow TUF alumni Rashad Evans at UFC 92 who in turn lost it to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98. And the game of musical chairs continued as Machida, who despite controversially coming up trumps in their first bout, was belatedly sent packing by a surprisingly resurgent Shogun last weekend at UFC 113. While Jackson, Griffin, Evans and Machida were thoroughly deserved champions, kings they were not.

So does Mauricio “Shogun” Rua have the minerals to pick up where Liddell left off and lord over the UFC light heavyweight division?

To answer that question it might pay to take a look back over Shogun’s relatively short but storied career as even at a glance it soon becomes obvious the former Wanderlei Silva prodigy has the pedigree to do just that. Groomed at the world famous Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil, he started training Muay Thai and BJJ at an early age, earning his black-belt in just five years. Then in 2005, at only 23 years of age, he freight-trained his way through the Pride Light Heavyweight Grand Prix on his way to taking out arguably the world’s most prestigious 205-pound event at the time. And it was no easy run as stomp victims Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueria, Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona will surely attest. Since leaving Japan, despite experiencing a horror run of injuries, he’s unquestionably evolved into one of the finest strikers in the UFC and sports an incredibly dangerous submission game to boot. His only apparent flaw, the suspect gas tank that let him down against Renato Sobral and Forrest Griffin, appears to be rectified.

Now, at just 28 years of age and sporting an impressive record of 19-4-0 with 17 finishes, Shogun looks for all money to possess the kind of raw physical and technical attributes that can certainly place him alongside the likes of Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre in the MMA world. And his conquest of Machida could possibly be the beginning of a lengthy win streak that sees him clean out the entire division.

So, has the UFC finally found its new light heavyweight king in Mauricio “Shogun” Rua? Absolutely… that is, until he’s dethroned by a kid nicknamed “Bones”.

To be continued…

Only in America.

Don King Productions' last-minute legal wrangling has apparently
resulted in the cancellation of tonight's planned Shine Fights
pay-per-view headliner between Ricardo Mayorga and Din Thomas.

And despite an initial air of defiance, Shine Fights officials have
reportedly conceded defeat and will host tonight's fight card without
the originally planned main event.

MONROE, La. (May 13, 2010) – World Champion wrestler Joe Warren and undefeated jiu-jitsu black belt Patricio Pitbull punched their tickets to the Bellator Featherweight Tournament Finals on Thursday while reigning Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard made yet another statement that he is one of the world’s top 185-pounders during a thrilling night of fights at Bellator 18.

Lombard used a vicious right-left combo to the chin to KO former UFC fighter Jay Silva just 6.1 seconds into their fight, bringing the capacity crowd at the Monroe Civic Center in Monroe, La. – and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney – to their feet.

“That’s the Hector Lombard I expected to see tonight,” Rebney said afterward. “He is a tremendously talented middleweight who I believe is one of the best in the world and now American MMA fans are getting to see what some of us already know.”

Lombard, who improved his stellar pro record to 25-2-1 with the win, summed up his performance in three words: “That was beautiful,” he said.

But while Lombard’s knockout will undoubtedly be the most-talked-about moment from Bellator 18, the victories by Warren and Pitbull had more immediate implications, setting up an intriguing final-round fight between one of America’s top wrestlers and an incredibly well-rounded and pedigreed jiu-jitsu and muay thai specialist.

In his fight, Warren used sheer strength and determination to slip out of no less than five submission attempts – two armbars, a heel hook and two guillotines – to win a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over up-and-comer and former pro soccer player Georgi Karakhanyan (13-2).

Warren (4-1), the 2006 Greco-Roman Wrestling World Champion and a former NCAA all-American at the University of Michigan, used a series of powerful wrestling takedowns to control the cage for all three rounds, wearing Karakhanyan down with a relentless ground-and-pound.

“I knew that he was good with the knees, so I thought I’d take him down,” an amped-up Warren told Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith after the fight. “I’m one step closer to that belt now and that’s what I’m here for.”

Later, in a battle of two Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts, Pitbull used his superior standup game to score points with leg kicks, jabs and knees to the head to withstand a strong challenge from Bellator Season 1 runner up Wilson Reis (10-2).

With the win, Pitbull improved his overall pro record to a perfect 14-0 and booked passage into the Season 2 finals along with Warren, who said of Pitbull afterward: “He’s a great fighter … he’s going to be a great win on my record.”

Pitbull, wearing the Brazilian flag as a cape, disagreed.

“Everyone wants to talk, talk, talk,” he said through his translator. “I want to see what happens in the cage. I’m looking forward to the next round.”

Rebney, for his part, sang Pitbull’s praises, calling him “a true phenom.”

“He’s done some amazing things in Brazil that nobody’s gotten to see, and now we’re all getting a chance to see it,” Rebney said. “And Joe Warren proved yet again what a great, determined fighter he is with another gutsy performance. It’s gonna be a great final round.”

In the final televised fight of the night – a match-up between two former all-state wrestlers from Louisiana – New Orleans-area native Charlie Rader (11-4) scored the sixth KO of his career with a first round knockout (3:20) of former TUF competitor Christian Fulgium.

“From beginning to end, it was a spectacular night of fights,” Rebney said. “It was great being back in the city of Monroe and putting on a great show. We’ll be back again soon.”

Fans who missed Thursday night’s action can watch all the best moments this weekend during special highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2. Check your local listings for exact dates and times.

Bellator returns to action next week from the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas, with two semifinal fights in the Season 2 Welterweight Tournament: former two-time NCAA wrestling champion and U.S. Olympian Ben Askren vs. UFC veteran Ryan Thomas and fast-rising MMA star Dan Hornbuckle vs. Iraq war veteran Steve Carl. The evening also features another Bellator “Super Fight,” with reigning Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto taking on UFC veteran Diego Saraiva..

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

Press Release

Polish Power invades America Pudzianowski all in vs. Sylvia headlining “Moosin: God of Martial Arts” PPV event May 21 at DCU Center in Worcester.

WORCESTER, Mass. (May 12, 2010) – In only his third professional mixed-martial-arts fight, iconic Polish powerhouse Mariusz “Dominator” Pudzianowski makes his U.S. debut against former 2-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim “Maine-iac” Sylvia, headlining the May 21st “Moosin: God of Martial Arts” pay-per-view event, at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Pudzianowski, 5-time World’s Strongest Man, is arguably the most popular Polish sports personality today, even hotter than boxer Tomasz Adamek, Formula One driver Robert Kubica, tennis player Agnieszka Radwanska, swimmer Otylia Jedrzejczak and NBA player Marcin Gortat.

The 6-1, 275-pound chiseled Pudzianowski practices karate, boxing and even finished second last year in Poland’s version of “Dancing With The Stars.” Taking on a super heavyweight such as the 6-8, 300-pound Sylvia (25-6-0), however, rates as an ambitious challenge for the relatively inexperienced Pudzianowski.

Sylvia (25-6-0), a native of Eastbrook, Maine, has defeated many of the top MMA heavyweights and super heavyweights – Andrei Arlovski (2) Brandon Vera, Jeff Monson, Wes Sims, Ricco Rodriguez, Mike Whitehead (2), Ben Rothwell and Jason Lambert. He believes that, if the Polish strongman and his team agreed to fight him this early in Mariusz’ MMA career, they must feel that he is over-the-hill in the cage.

Why fight Sylvia in only his third pro MMA fight? “First of all,” the 33-year-old Mariusz answered, “I’m not getting any younger. On a more serious note, though, I need to know as soon as possible what my strengths and weaknesses are fighting an established named fighter like Sylvia. My latest fight (last Saturday night in Poland) versus (Yusuke) Kawaguchi was worth every penny as a part of my MMA education (Mariusz won a 2-round decision against an opponent who was 11-1 going into the fight). Sylvia is the next logical step on my way to a world championship. I believe in learning by doing things.

“Sylvia brings experience, which I obviously don’t have, and he can punch. He is tall and has a long reach. I would like to use his strengths as his weaknesses, but I don’t want to talk too much about this. No extra tips from me, no way. I am somebody who will never quit. He has to knock me out cold to win. There’s no other way. I will fight a more disciplined fight than my last one, for sure, but I will still be fun to watch. I’m fighting for fans in order to give them good entertainment for their money.

“Fighting on in the United States and on pay-per-view is very significant. The USA is the birthplace of the real MMA, where the whole craziness started and now, in the age of the Internet and satellite TV, everything is global. I have a lot of fans in the U.S., not only Polish fans who always show-up to support their countrymen. It’s a global exposure and this is one of the reasons why I wanted to fight Tim – to gain recognition.”

“God of Martial Arts” is being presented by Moosin, the South Korea-based promotional company, which has promoted MMA shows in South Korea and the United States. Moosin, in conjunction with the International Taekwon-Do Federation, plans expansion into to China, Poland and Australia.

Pudzianowski has the rare combination of power, evident as a 5-time World’s Strongest Man, as well as the footwork and dexterity of a ballroom dancer. “MMA and ballroom dancing are both hard,” Mariusz added. “Both need dedication, depending on what you like, and I got tired training for dancing. But it wasn’t for me in the long run. The whole ‘Dancing With The Stars’ competition was a nice distraction, but, I prefer more manly endeavors.

“I never attempt any competition, dancing included, not thinking that I will win. It’s not in my nature. My fight with Sylvia will not be an exception. Losing to him is not even an option for me. This time the judges will not be needed.”

In the co-main event, Korean heavyweight Mu Bae “The Heavy Tank of Busan” Choi (9-4-0) faces veteran Travis “Diesel” Wiuff (59-14-0). Brazilian middleweight Rafael “Sapo” Natal (11-2-0) meets The Ultimate Fighter 4 winner Travis “The Serial Killer” Lutter (10-5-0), while Bahamian lightweight Yves “The Texas Gunslinger” Edwards (37-15-1) tangles with rising New England star Mike Campbell(7-2-0).

A special female attraction features two of the premier women MMA fighters in the U.S., Tara LaRosa (18-1-0) and Roxy Modafferi (13-4-0), at a 130-pound catch-weight.

“God of Martial Arts” is being distributed by Integrated Sports Media at 9:00PM ET/6:00PM PT in North America on cable and satellite Pay-Per-View via iN Demand, DIRECTV, TVN and DISH Network, as well as Viewer’s Choice, Bell TV and Shaw PPV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95 (also available in HD). It is also available on www.GoFightLive.TV outside of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Poland.

The show has worldwide appeal but also features several local favorites on the undercard: Korean light heavyweight Chang Seob Lee (2-4-0) vs. Lukasz “Juras” Jurkowski (5-6-0), Clinton’s Matt Lee (11-8-1) vs. Bridgewater’s Brett Oteri (5-0-0) in a match-up of Massachusetts lightweights, unbeaten Worcester (Mass.) welterweight Ralph Johnson vs. NAAFS champion Forrest “The Meat Clever” Petz (23-7-0 undefeated Rockland (Mass.) heavyweight Paul Barry(3-0-0) vs. Stipe Miocic (1-0-0),Stoughton (Mass.) middleweight Fred “French Foot Fighter” Belleton (6-2-0) vs. Anthony “The Recipe” Lapsley(14-5-0).

Also, fan favorite Eric “Butterbean” Esch (98-18-5, all-fighting) squares-off against former Boston Bruins enforcer and popular WAAF sports personality, Lyndon “LB” Byers, in a charity fundraiser. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $35.75, $55.75, $75.75, $150.75 and $250.75, are on sale at the DCU Center Box Office (50 Foster St., Worcester, MA), all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1.800.745.3000.

Doors open at 7:30 PM/ET, first bout 8:00 PM/ET, first PPV bout 9 PM/ET (6 PM/PT). Go to www.MoosinUSA.com or www.dcucenter.com for additional information. For odds on the fights go to http://partners.betus.com.

Moosin: A global event promoter based out of Seoul, South Korea, in conjunction with the International Taekwon-Do Federation, Moosin is known for bringing fans the finest in mixed martial arts competition. Moosin is revolutionizing the MMA industry by merging an international roster of talented fighters with recognizable stars from the world or music, sports and popular culture. Moosin pits warrior against warrior, featuring a hybrid of MMA and hard-hitting Moosin-style kickboxing, in hand-to-hand battles of skill, honor and art.

DCU Center: A multi-purpose arena and convention center uniquely designed to accommodate the needs of any size group from 15 to 15,000 DCU Center is owned by the City of Worcester and managed by SMG, the world’s leading private management and developing firm for public assembly facilities. Headquartered on Philadelphia, SMG provides management services to over 200 public assembly facilities internationally and also offers food and beverage operations through SAVOR…Catering by SMG. For more information, please visit www.dcucenter.com.

Integrated Sports Media:North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Ricky Hatton, Christian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Kahn, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr., and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media distributed numerous International soccer matches showcasing teams like Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA, as well as World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson, and Roy Nelson. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com.

Though the proverbial spotlight may be firmly planted on Montreal for UFC 113, Maximum Fighting Championship made sure Canadian MMA fans outside of Quebec also had a chance to get their live-show fix this weekend courtesy of last night’s ”MFC 25 – Vindication”. The Edmonton event featured a slew of fighters hailing from America’s northerly neighbor as well as a handful of names once associated with the infamous Octagon.

Chase Gormley, who started his career out with six wins before dropping a pair of fights in the UFC, got back on the winning track by outpointing Ryan Fortin on all three judges’ scorecards. The victory was his second by unanimous decision in the promotion.

Not so lucky in result was TUF 6 alumnus Richie Hightower who emerged a loser after falling victim to a first-round submission at the limbs of Gavin Neil. The Rear-Naked Choke brought Neil’s record to 8-1 and was his fourth win in a row.

However, not all was lost for fighters with Ultimate Fighter experience, as Season Four’s Pete Spratt avoided the judges’ scorecards by finishing fellow Octagon veteran Luigi Fioravanti with less than a minute remaining in their bout. The accomplishment marked Spratt’s eleventh career TKO, while American Top Team’s Fioravanti is now 3-2 since parting ways with the UFC slightly more than a year ago.

To the surprise of some, especially those not flying a flag with a maple leaf on it, Ryan Jimmo lived up to his nickname and proved he is indeed a “Big Deal” by welcoming Brazilian Wilson Gouveia to MFC with a unanimous decision defeat. Gouveia, who showed up three pounds heavy to the weigh-in, has fallen in his last three fights and is now 12-8 as a professional. Comparably, the win improved Jimmo’s record to 13-1 and continued an impressive streak dating back to the Canadian’s only loss – his debut in February 2007!

The evening’s main event involved perhaps the largest contrast in personalities if not styles, as soft-spoken, technical jiujitsu practitioner Thales Leites tested his skills against colorful, physical wrestler Jesse “J.T. Money” Taylor and needed less than two-and-a-half minutes to pass the exam with a Triangle Armbar. It was the third loss for Taylor in his last four fights and his fifth by submission out of six total career defeats. On the other end of the spectrum, the hold brought about the one-time UFC Middleweight Championship contender’s third victory in a row since being released by the organization after a split-decision snoozer to Alessio Sakara at UFC 101.

Here is a complete rundown of results:

Jevon Marshall def. Garret Nybakken via Submission Round 3
Keto Allen def. Aaron Berke via TKO Round 1
Chad Freeman def. Mike Froese via Submission Round 1
Chase Gormley def. Ryan Fortin via Unanimous Decision
Gavin Neil def. Richie Hightower via Submission Round 1
Pete Spratt def. Luigi Fioravanti via TKO Round 3
Emanuel Newton def. Dwayne Lewis via Unanimous Decision
Ryan Jimmo def. Wilson Gouveia via Unanimous Decision
Thales Leites def. Jesse Taylor via Submission Round 1

According to DREAM matchmaker Daisuke Soto on Ustream, a very big fight might be going down at Dream 14. It’s the return of one of the sports greatest rivalries: Kazushi Sakuraba vs. The Gracie Family. The Gracie Hunter is possibly prepping to go on the hunt against the new generation of Gracie family members, starting off with Ralek Gracie.

Ralek Gracie is the grandson of Helio Gracie and the son of Rorion Gracie, the original founder of The Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gracie made the jump to MMA in 2008, and has gone 2-0 with submission victories in both of his fights. His recent fight was at DREAM 4 against Alavutdin Gadzhiyev, whom Gracie dispatched of with an armbar and round one.

Sakuraba currently holds victories over Royce, Renzo, Ryan, and Royler Gracie back in the PRIDE promotion. The last time Sakuraba fought a Gracie was in 2007, against Royce Gracie at K-1’s first MMA event in America. Lately, Sakuraba has picked up victories over boxer Rubin Williams and Croation Zelg Galesic via submission.

A legendary rivalry will begin again, and this time the rivalry goes to the cage.

Spike TV recently announced its fourth annual "Guys Choice," described
as "a one-night-only event for guys where the year's most hotly debated
rivalries from the world of sports, comedy, film and more go up against
one another mano-a-mano with original categories that embody everything
that matters in 'guydom.'"

And one category in particular will also matter to mixed martial arts
fans.

In the "Most Dangerous Man" category, voters are asked to make a simple
choice. Who is more dangerous - UFC welterweight champion Georges
St-Pierre or the Boxing Writers Association of
America's "Fighter of the Decade," Manny Pacquiao?