(Photo via Scott Clark/Sherdog.com)

Impact Fighting Championship held it’s first event in Brisbane, Australia Saturday night featuring many notable mixed martial arts names such as Josh Barnett, Karo Parisyan, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Carlos Newton.

Sherdog.com was on scene and provided updates on the bout as well as the full results.

Picking up an easy victory was top ten ranked heavyweight Josh Barnett, who improved to 26-5 with a first round TKO victory over Geronimo dos Santos in their main event bout.

Barnett got a takedown to full mount within 10 seconds of the opening bell, and it looked like the bout wouldn’t even see 30 seconds. Though “Mondragon” made it back to his feet, Barnett finished another takedown, again straight into full mount, and exploited the Belem native’s nascent ground skills by posturing up and pounding away.

Dos Santos turned away from Barnett, who hammered right hands into the Brazilian’s earhole. After a salvo of clean rights, referee “Big” John McCarthy stopped in to halt the bout at 2:35 of the first frame. Dos Santos complained to McCarthy that the bout was stopped too early. As Dos Santos reached his feet in protest, the hulking Brazilian was rubber-legged, zig-zagging across the cage.

“The referee stopped the bout; that’s the only reason I quit,” said Barnett after the bout. “If he thought it was going to get any better for him, he’s wrong.”

Don’t get too excited for “The Baby Faced Assassin” just yet, the loss marked the third loss in four fights for dos Santos who was fighting for the first time out of his native Brazil.

Parisyan faced a tougher opponent in Aussie Ben Mortimer. Their bout was the first fight of the evening after “The Heat” requested the change from the main card so he could get his fight over with quickly so family back home could stop worrying about him.

For the better part of two rounds, Parisyan’s oft-praised judo dominated proceedings, as he notched four throws that landed him firmly in side control. Parisyan looked to have victory secured twice in the first round, as he spun for far-side armbars from side mount, but Mortimer escaped both, and even landed some sharp right hands on Parisyan’s face.

In Parisyan’s fourth trip to side control in the second round, Parisyan threatened with a kimura that forced a scramble. In said scramble, Parisyan rode Moritimer from the side and locked up a Caol Uno-style rear-naked choke. After securing the choke, Parisyan then sunk his hooks and coaxed the tap at 4:18 of the second round.

“I need more time. My body looks like a third-grader body. But I’m trying to get back,” said Parisyan in self-critique.

The full ‘Impact FC: The Uprising’ results are as follows:

Heavyweight bout: Josh Barnett def. Geronimo dos Santos via TKO (punches) – R1, 2:35
Light-Heavyweight bout: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou def. Joaquim Ferreira via TKO (punches) – R1, 1:20
Welterweight bout: Karo Parisyan def. Ben Mortimer via submission (rear-naked choke) – R2, 2:35
Heavyweight bout: Jeff Monson def. Ubiratan Lima Marinho via unanimous decision
Catchweight (160 pounds): Tom Waters def. Jacob Mahony via TKO (punches) – R2, 1:38
Heavyweight bout: Fabio Fernandes def. Api Hemara via submission (rear-naked choke) – R1, 3:58
Lightweight bout: Thiago “Minu” Meller def. Jai Bradney via submission (guillotine) – R1, 1:32
Welterweight bout: Brian Ebersole def. Carlos Newton via unanimous decision

Jorge Britto (head instructor of TorontoBJJ) invites all Jiu Jitsu academies to help us carry the flag of this sport into the future. Join us on Saturday August 7th, 2010 at Downsview Park in Toronto. This tournament is a celebration of Jiu Jitsu and we are giving an opportunity to everyone to become part of the next page in the history of Jiu Jitsu in Canada. This tournament will showcase the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, we need you to be part of the revolution of this sport in North America. We need to be unified, we need to show solidarity by coming together to honor the tradition of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition. We want to demonstrate great Jiu Jitsu, we want to show who we are, we want to exhibit the glory of healthy rivalries between teams and how they help the sport to progress, develop, and grow.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is more than a sport, it is deeply rooted in tradition, and a tried and tested methodology since it was founded in Brazil. In this tournament we aim to honor this heritage and lineage by organizing the tournament in the same manner as the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation. We want to pay tribute to the sport’s founders by not just coming to compete and determine who is best on the day but, we want to live the Jiu Jitsu ideology, philosophy and lifestyle.

This type of competition readies competitors for the highest level of international competition by adhering to international rules, regulations, and standards. We are already seeing the fruits of previous tournaments which produced several champions at this years mundials (worlds championships). The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu format of competition has lead to greater things for many of the stars of the sport, champions like BJ Penn, Marcelo Garcia, Demian Maia, Rodrigo Noguerra, and many more got their starts on the tatami’s of Jiu Jitsu.

What makes the Toronto Jiu Jistu Classic Special?
Divisions will have a specific start time that will be released two days prior to the event along with the brackets. No waiting hours and hours, wondering when your division is going to start.

75 Carl Hall Road,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
MAP

More information on the official site.

Press Release

LEMOORE, Calif. (July 1, 2010) – Grapplers Quest will crown the “2010 World’s Best Grappler” on Saturday and Sunday, July 10 and 11 with a 32-Man Superfight Tournament at the Tachi Palace Casino in Lemoore, CA.

The 32-Man Superfight Absolute Tournament will feature Alexandre Ribeiro, Jeff Monson, Bill Cooper, Joao Assis, Lucas Leite, Chris Moriarty, Sean Spangler, Antonio Braga Neto and many more of the world’s best Jiu Jitsu, MMA, Judo and Sambo fighters battling for the largest cash prize and most prestigious No-Gi Submission Grappling title in American history: $11,500 in cash ($10,000 for 1st place, $1,000 for 2nd Place, and $500 for 3rd Place).

GoFightLive.tv will stream the entire 32-Man Tournament (all 30 matches) live starting at 4:00 PM PST and 7:00 PM EST and then on-demand worldwide for just $19.99. Purchase online at: http://www.gofightlive.tv/showEvent.do?eventId=722

For amateur competitors, the event will also feature 200 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Submission Grappling, Judo and Wrestling Divisions for competitors of all skill and belt levels and $3,000 in cash prizes. For event information, competitor registration, tickets and more on the Grapplers Quest at Tachi Palace in Lemoore, California on July 10-11, go to http://www.grapplersquest.com/events/tachi-palace-challenge

“There was no other tournament in 2010 to truly crown The World’s Best Grappler, so Grapplers Quest wanted to step-up and challenge the grappling world with $11,500 in cash,” said Brian Cimins, Grapplers Quest President. “This has been a dream of mine since I started this event in 1998, to ultimately crown the World’s Best, and Tachi Palace Casino and GoFightLive.tv will make this dream a reality and you can witness it live around the world.”

The 32-Man Tournament will feature Alexandre “Xande” Ribeiro (multiple-time World Jiu Jitsu Champion and 3-time Grapplers Quest Pro Champion), Joao Assis (2010 UFC Fan Expo Absolute Champion), Jeff “Snowman” Monson (former World Champion, UFC Veteran), Bill “The Grill” Cooper (26-Time Grapplers Quest), Rustam Chsiev (K-Dojo, 5tTime Pro Grapplers Quest Absolute Champion), Lucas Leite (CBJJ World Champion), Kelly Anundson (American Top Team, 2010 USA Wrestling/World Grappling Champion), Sean Spangler (2009 World Series of Grappling Cruiserweight Champion, Robert Drysdale Black Belt), Brandon “The Animal” Olsen (Team Pain Cave, World Series Silver Medalist), Marcelo “Lapela” Mafra (2009 World Series of Grappling Champion), Cameron Diffley (AutismRadio.org Charity Superfight Champion), Chris Moriarty (ADCC Veteran), John Toth (Team Balance/2008 All-Star Pro Challenge Champion), Carlos Diego Ferreira Neves (Amazonas BJJ), Peter Iacavazzi (Sylvio Behring Black Belt, 7-time Grapplers Quest Advanced Champion), Brian McLaughlin (The Ultimate Fighter contestant, Precision MMA, Kardian MMA), Enrico Cocco (Zen Jiu Jitsu, 2009 ADCC North American Champion, 6-time Grapplers Quest Champion, Walter “Cascao” Vital (Mica/Machado/Cascao), Bruno Bastos (Nova Uniao, World Champion), Leopoldo Serao (World Champion from Fairtex), Stephen Martinez (Millenia MMA, 3-time Grapplers Quest Advanced Champion), Chris Downum (Camarillo Jiu Jitsu), Nathan “The Great” Ducharme (David Terrell), Antonio Braga Neto (Evolve MMA, Brazil and Singapore), Jason Manly (Jake Shields’ Gracie Fighter Berkeley), Paul Stark (2010 Canadian Absolute Champion), James Popoulo (Rafael Lovato Jr.), Alexandre Ceconi (2010 ADCC Pro World Black Belt Champion), and Luke Rockhold (American Kickboxing Academy/Strikeforce Contender). The card is subject to change. Alternate are spots available, submit resumes at: http://www.grapplersquest.com/contact

For event information, competitor registration, tickets and more on the Grapplers Quest at Tachi Palace in Lemoore, California on July 10-11, go to: http://www.grapplersquest.com/events/tachi-palace-challenge

Catch Replay On Monday, June 28, 2010, At 10 P.M. ET/PT On SHOWTIME 2

SAN JOSE, Calif. (June 27, 2010) – On a historic night of Mixed Martial arts presented by STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL and televised on SHOWTIME®, two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (14-4) registered the most spectacular upset in MMA history with a 1:09, first-round submission (triangle choke) over the world’s No. 1 heavyweight and pound-for-pound fighter, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-2) before 12,649 Saturday at HP Pavilion.

Fedor, a six-footer, had Werdum in trouble in the opening moments after dropping him with a right uppercut that was followed with several more punches. But from his back, Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and member of Brazil’s vaunted Chute Boxe fight squad, got Fedor into a combination triangle- and arm-choke. Within seconds, the fight was over. The famed Fedor had tapped out.

“I am so very, very happy,’’ the six-foot-four Werdum said. “He is such a strong man. He is a great fighter. I would be glad to fight him again.’’

It was the first “legitimate’’ defeat in Fedor’s legendary career. His other loss, while official, came as a result of a disputed doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000.

“One that doesn’t fall doesn’t stand up. I was concentrating on the strikes and made a mistake,’’ Fedor said. “I will have to go back and analyze what happened.’’

Saturday marked the first time in MMA history, the No. 1 male and female fighters in the world fought in the same cage on the same night.

While Fedor failed in a stunning shocker, the top women’s fighter, Cris Cyborg (10-1) of Curitibia, Brazil, was her usual brutal self as she retained the STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Middleweight (145 pounds) title with a dominant second-round (2:27) knockout (strikes) over game, determined challenger, Jan Finney (8-8) of Springfield, Ohio, in one of the featured fights on SHOWTIME.

In other televised fights, former STRIKEFORCE middleweight champion and hometown favorite, southpaw Cung Le (17-3) of San Jose, convincingly stopped Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith (18-7) of Elk Grove, Calif., at 1:46 in the second round; and popular, local fan favorite and former STRIKEFORCE world lightweight belt-holder Josh “The Punk’’ Thomson (17-3), of San Jose, turned back a determined bid of Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy (23-16) of Portland, Ore., to score a hard-fought, third-round submission. A tight, even fight ended via rear-naked choke at 4:27.

In an emotional moment midway through the telecast, MMA pioneer and San Jose’s original favorite MMA son, Frank “The Legend’’ Shamrock, made one last walk down the ramp, in a suit, no less, and into the cage where he formally announced his retirement.

As the respectful fans stood and listened in appreciation, Shamrock, who is an expert analyst for SHOWTIME MMA telecasts, took the microphone, surrounded by family, promoters and executives, and said: “I’m 37. My time has come. Tonight, I announce my retirement. Tonight, I enter the cage for the last time as a fighter. I want to thank the people, my friend and an honest promoter, Scott Coker, for always keeping his word. In 2006, I threw one punch and STRIKEFORCE was born. Again, I want to thank all the people, the HP Pavilion and my family who put up with my craziness that was MMA. You, the fans were there when I won, and when I lost, and it was an honor for me to bleed and to break bones and entertain you.’’

Shamrock then slowly bowed to each side of the cage, precipitating one final roar of cheers from those in attendance.

By defeating Fedor, Werdum’s record now against the Emelianenko’s is 2-0. On Nov. 26, 2006, Werdum submitted Fedor’s brother, Aleksander, via arm triangle choke at 3:24 in the first round in Rotterdam, Holland.

Werdum may also have earned an immediate shot at STRIKEFORCE heavyweight world champion, Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem, whom he’s already defeated once. “I am ready to fight anybody,’’ Werdum said.

Cyborg, who had a meaningless point deducted for hitting behind the head in the opening round, praised Finney, who went down several times, but felt the fight could have been halted earlier.

“I was really surprised the fight wasn’t stopped in the first round,’’ said Cyborg after her 10th consecutive victory. “I know she was trying hard, but I could tell I was hurting her, especially when she was down and covering up like she was. But it is my job to keep fighting until the fight is over.’’

Cyborg was crowned the first STRIKEFORCE women’s champion in history on Aug. 15, 2009, after she stopped Gina Carano in the first round at HP Pavilion.

Finney fought as hard as anyone could expect and, true to her word, kept firing back.

“I think this, being a world title fight, could have gone on a little longer,’’ she said. “If I was really hurt, I would have tapped.’’

Southpaw Le, who had dominated Smith before getting stopped last Dec. 19, left little to doubt this time around. A spinning leg kick to the body dropped Smith and after a succession of punches, the referee stepped in. Afterward, an ecstatic Le back-flipped out.

“I want to thank Scott Coker and SHOWTIME. I know what happened last time and was determined not to have it happen again. I knew I was in shape. I was pushed really hard during training. I was totally focused. I didn’t eat pizza. I didn’t eat chocolate for six or seven weeks.

“If Scott Coker wants a rubber match, that would be fine with me. Last time was Scott (Smith’s) night. This was my night. I am the one standing.’’

Press Release

SYDNEY, Australia (June 16, 2010) – The cage will be ablaze with non-stop MMA action for the “The Uprising” as former UFC Champion and Hall of Fame Member, Ken Shamrock returns to the ring to take on former UFC Champion, Hall of fame member and PRIDE Veteran, Pedro ”The Rock” Rizzo in an exciting PPV event on July 17. In the Co-feature, English MMA fighter, Paul Daley who is ranked as the #8 welterweight in the world by Sherdog.com and ranked #5 by MMA Weekly will do battle with Brazilian MMA fighter, Daniel Acacio who is most notable for his fights in PRIDE Fighting Championships and his aggressive fighting style.

Presented by Impact Fighting Championship (FC), bouts from two incredible fight cards from Australia will be included in the PPV event. The Uprising from Sydney, Australia will go live in the USA at 10:00pm on the East Coast (ET) and 7:00pm on the West Coast (PST) and Canada on July 17th with a card stacked full of action-packed bouts. In addition, the exciting main event from “The Uprising” series from the Brisbane Entertainment Center, Brisbane, Australia, July 10, featuring former UFC heavyweight champion, Josh “The Babyfaced Assassin” Barnett (25-5-0) and Jungle Fight veteran, Geronimo “Mondragon” Dos Santos (18-9-0) will also be included in the Pay-Per-View.

Impact FC has secured some of the world’s best fighters for these upcoming tournaments and will feature some huge names including Pride and UFC veterans. Fans will be thrilled to know that ‘Big John’ McCarthy, former head referee for the Ultimate Fighting Championship will be the referee for The Uprising series.

With a full card that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats, the slate of Uprising match-ups include, Pride K-1 and MMA legend Bob Sapp in a fight for dominance over Australian star and UFC veteran Soa “The Hulk” Palelei, DREAM Middleweight Champion, Paulo Filho will face dangerous striker, Denis Kang, Elite XC Champion and Pride veteran Murilo Ninja Rua with square off against former Ultimate Fighter Jeremy May, former UFC Champion and Pride veteran Murilo Bustamante will battle Jesse Taylor from the Ultimate Fighter, Australian kickboxing legend Peter Graham will fight the #1 ranked Heavyweight MMA fighter in Australia, Jim Yorke, popular MMA star Glover Teixeira is pitted against Croatian fighter from Perth Marco Peselj, Australian surfer and MMA star Richie “Vas” Vaculik is matched with local Australian fighter Luke Hume, and Australia’s rising MMA star Shane Nix will face Sydney’s own Manuel Rodriguez.

Headliner Kenneth (The World’s Most Dangerous Man) Shamrock, (27-13-2) is a UFC Hall of Famer as well as a professional wrestler. One of the biggest stars in MMA, he has headlined over 15 main events and co-main events in the Ultimate Fighting Championships and Pride Fighting Championships and has broken numerous pay-per-view records with his strong fan appeal.

The first UFC Superfight Champion, Shamrock also holds the title of the first MMA Heavyweight Champion in Japan, winning the title of King of Pancrase. During his reign as the UFC Superfight Champion, he was widely considered the #1 MMA fighter in the world.

Brazilian Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo (18-9-0) recognized as one of the best strikers in the business was born to fight. Having returned to the basics, Pedro is training at Claudio Coelho’s gym, has simplified his regimen and is back in top shape, with renewed energy and excitement heading into this fight. The former professional kick boxer was a four-time Brazilian Muay Thai champion. Rizzo won his MMA pro debut via a first-round knockout of Eric Labaille on October 26, 1996. He extended his win streak to nine, including notable triumphs against David “Tank” Abbott (KO1) in UFC: Ultimate Brazil and Mark Coleman (DEC1), before dropping a 5-round decision to Kevin Randleman in their 2000 UFC heavyweight championship fight. “The Rock” responded with back-to-back wins versus Dan Severn (SUB1) and Josh Barnett (KO2), setting up a UFC heavyweight title fight against legendary Randy Couture, who won a decision and six months later, Couture stopped Rizzo on strikes in the third-round of their rematch for the title.

In 2002, Rizzo put Andrei Arlovski to sleep on punches in the third round, but Pedro dropped consecutive fights to Gan McGee (TKO1), and Vladimir Matyushenko (DEC3) to start 2003. A key victory came against MMA veteran Ricco Rodriguez (DEC3).

In a fight against Jeff Monson on September 1, 2007, Rizzo registered a third-round win, in the first pay-per-view event promoted by Art of War. On July 19, 2008, Rizzo fought Josh “The Babyface” Barnett in Affliction Entertainment’s Day of Reckoning and lost, 2nd round 1:44 KO (Punch) .

The main event for the “Uprising” series in Brisbane is a much anticipated event. Josh Barnett is a highly tactical, sound fighter whose world-class submission wrestling skills are notorious. Animated by his trademark humor and bravado, he is one of the top ten ranked heavyweights in MMA and a celebrated wrestling star in Japan. Although his grappling base comes from catch-wrestling, he has an evolved fighting style that combines a well-rounded standup and ground game. Barnett also has size, strength, and conditioning on his side. Barnett has fought in every major fight organization in the world and was scheduled to fight against Fedor for Affliction Entertainment’s Trilogy prior to being disqualified for failing his medical tests. This will be Barnett’s first fight since his disqualification in the U.S., while “Mondragon” has been training all of his life for this moment to take on “The Babyfaced Assassin.”

The 29-year-old “Mondragon” has an impressive record having taken down opponents in 23 professional fights. Prior to losing to Edson Conterraneo at Jungle Fight 17, Dos Santos finished off each of his previous seven opponents, the past three inside the first round. Dos Santos amazed the Brazilian mixed martial arts community when he stopped Assuerio Silva on strikes in just 61 seconds at Jungle Fight 15. He followed the performance with back-to-back first-round submissions against Douglas Humberto and Fabio Monstro.

“The Uprising,” is presented by Impact FC, Saturday, July 17th, 2010 at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT in the United States from local pay-per-view providers for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.

LOS ANGELES (June 16, 2010) – Former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) may have earned a shot at current STRIKEFORCE 205-pound titleholder Muhammad “King Mo’’ Lawal after capturing a close, unanimous three-round decision over “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6) on a special Wednesday night presentation of STRIKEFORCE Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) on SHOWTIME®.

But Babalu, who narrowly outpointed Lawler in a main event fought at a catch weight of 195 pounds before 5,259 fans who produced a gate of $418,061 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, may need a little time to decide if he’ll take the fight with his good friend.

“This is something I will have to think about,’’ said Babalu, who triumphed by the scores of 29-28 three times. “Yes, of course, I want to be a champion again but I’m old school and he is my friend and friends last longer than title belts. But we’ll see.’’

In other televised results, Brazil’s Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) registered an impressive 2:38, first-round knockout over DREAM welterweight champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis (13-5); American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-2) of Austin, Texas, made quick work of South African Trevor Prangley, winning by 3:35 first-round submission (rear-naked choke); and former world champion KJ Noons (9-2) of San Diego, Calif., outlasted Conor “Hurricane’’ Heun (8-4) of Hollywood, Calif., by way of Boulder, Colo., via split decision in a non-stop-action lightweight thriller that opened the telecast.

The first-ever STRIKEFORCE event scheduled for mid-week took place in the midst of the E3 Expo, the premier trade show for computer and video games. During E3 Expo 2010 at the L.A. Convention Center, EA SPORTS™ will exhibit its highly anticipated title, EA SPORTS MMA, in which STRIKEFORCE is featured as a premier league.

Besides deciding if he wants to fight King Mo, Babalu will need to take off some time for the severe cuts around his left eye to heal. Lawler, meantime, who exited the ring seemingly unmarked, may want to re-think his decision to feign an injury in the second round that he hoped would lure Babalu, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist known for his submissions, into a standup shootout.

“I wasn’t hurt, I just wanted to make him think I was,’’ said Lawler, who suffered damage to his body from a multitude of front kicks. “It was a ploy, a decoy, for him to fight me so I could knock him out.

“I’m disappointed with the result, but I have no complaints. The two takedowns in the first round may have been the difference. I know that I could have done much more. I should have done more.’’

Cyborg, the husband of women’s superstar Cris Cyborg and a member of the famed Chute Box Academy, was ecstatic after handling Zaromskis his second consecutive defeat.

“I am very happy with my performance and this fight,’’ the male Cyborg said. “I’ve had so many first-round knockouts. I can’t say if this was the best, but it was definitely one of the best.

“I want to fight (STRIKEFORCE world welterweight champion) Nick Diaz. He’s the fighter I want more than anybody right now.’’

The super-aggressive Kennedy, a United States Army Special Forces sniper with the 19th Special Forces outfit based in San Antonio who has earned the Army’s Bronze Medal Star medal for valor under fire, made it four victories in a row and 12 of his last 13.

“I don’t go the distance. In fact, I’m totally against going the distance,’’ Kennedy said. “I’m happy with the end result. He hit me with a good uppercut; that stuff’s not supposed to happen. I have some of the greatest hands in the sport. I just want to start fighting the kinds of opponents I can knock out and start a highlight reel on. I’m tired of fighting wrestlers.’’

Noons, a prolific striker and the last fighter to defeat Nick Diaz, praised Heun at bout’s conclusion.

“He’s a very game guy who brought it the whole fight,’’ said Noons, won by the scores of 29-28 twice and 27-30. “I definitely feel I won the fight and I really wanted to please the fans, but I had to work for it. I haven’t used my legs in a while so if felt good to get in some leg kicks.’’

A bloodied Heun felt he’d done enough to get the nod. “I wanted to fight one of the top guys to prove to everybody that I could compete with the top ones, and I think I did that tonight,” he said. “But I’m very disappointed with the decision. Only one judge scored the fight.

“I feel I did more than enough to win although the cuts were definitely a factor. By the third round, I was aiming my punches at the guy in the middle.’’

Wednesday’s bouts will re-air as follows:

DAY CHANNEL
Tuesday, June 22, at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME 2

Mauro Ranallo called the action on SHOWTIME with MMA expert Stephen Quadros and MMA legend Pat Miletich serving as expert analysts.

Wednesdays non-televised results: Jeremy Umphries (5-1), Los Angeles; submitted (rear-naked choke) ESPN radio host RJ Clifford (3-2), Los Angeles, at 2:27 of the second round; and Hugo Sandoval (2-2), Riverside, Calif., TKO 2 (strikes, 0:42) over Marcus Koval (2-1), Los Angeles.

Press Release

BABALU SOBRAL TAKES CLOSE, UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER “RUTHLESS’’ ROBBIE LAWLER

TIM KENNEDY WINS EASILY, EVANGELISTA CYBORG
TRIUMPHS IMPRESSIVELY, KJ NOONS OUTLASTS CONOR HEUN
ON UNIQUE WEDNESDAY NIGHT STRIKEFORCE FIGHT CARD

LOS ANGELES (June 16, 2010) – Former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) may have earned a shot at current STRIKEFORCE 205-pound titleholder Muhammad “King Mo’’ Lawal after capturing a close, unanimous three-round decision over “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6) on a special Wednesday night presentation of STRIKEFORCE Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) on SHOWTIME®.

But Babalu, who narrowly outpointed Lawler in a main event fought at a catch weight of 195 pounds before 5,259 fans who produced a gate of $418,061 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, may need a little time to decide if he’ll take the fight with his good friend.

“This is something I will have to think about,’’ said Babalu, who triumphed by the scores of 29-28 three times. “Yes, of course, I want to be a champion again but I’m old school and he is my friend and friends last longer than title belts. But we’ll see.’’

In other televised results, Brazil’s Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) registered an impressive 2:38, first-round knockout over DREAM welterweight champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis (13-5); American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-2) of Austin, Texas, made quick work of South African Trevor Prangley, winning by 3:35 first-round submission (rear-naked choke); and former world champion KJ Noons (9-2) of San Diego, Calif., outlasted Conor “Hurricane’’ Heun (8-4) of Hollywood, Calif., by way of Boulder, Colo., via split decision in a non-stop-action lightweight thriller that opened the telecast.

The first-ever STRIKEFORCE event scheduled for mid-week took place in the midst of the E3 Expo, the premier trade show for computer and video games. During E3 Expo 2010 at the L.A. Convention Center, EA SPORTS™ will exhibit its highly anticipated title, EA SPORTS MMA, in which STRIKEFORCE is featured as a premier league.

Besides deciding if he wants to fight King Mo, Babalu will need to take off some time for the severe cuts around his left eye to heal. Lawler, meantime, who exited the ring seemingly unmarked, may want to re-think his decision to feign an injury in the second round that he hoped would lure Babalu, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist known for his submissions, into a standup shootout.

“I wasn’t hurt, I just wanted to make him think I was,’’ said Lawler, who suffered damage to his body from a multitude of front kicks. “It was a ploy, a decoy, for him to fight me so I could knock him out.

“I’m disappointed with the result, but I have no complaints. The two takedowns in the first round may have been the difference. I know that I could have done much more. I should have done more.’’

Cyborg, the husband of women’s superstar Cris Cyborg and a member of the famed Chute Box Academy, was ecstatic after handling Zaromskis his second consecutive defeat.

“I am very happy with my performance and this fight,’’ the male Cyborg said. “I’ve had so many first-round knockouts. I can’t say if this was the best, but it was definitely one of the best.

“I want to fight (STRIKEFORCE world welterweight champion) Nick Diaz. He’s the fighter I want more than anybody right now.’’

The super-aggressive Kennedy, a United States Army Special Forces sniper with the 19th Special Forces outfit based in San Antonio who has earned the Army’s Bronze Medal Star medal for valor under fire, made it four victories in a row and 12 of his last 13.

“I don’t go the distance. In fact, I’m totally against going the distance,’’ Kennedy said. “I’m happy with the end result. He hit me with a good uppercut; that stuff’s not supposed to happen. I have some of the greatest hands in the sport. I just want to start fighting the kinds of opponents I can knock out and start a highlight reel on. I’m tired of fighting wrestlers.’’

Noons, a prolific striker and the last fighter to defeat Nick Diaz, praised Heun at bout’s conclusion.

“He’s a very game guy who brought it the whole fight,’’ said Noons, won by the scores of 29-28 twice and 27-30. “I definitely feel I won the fight and I really wanted to please the fans, but I had to work for it. I haven’t used my legs in a while so if felt good to get in some leg kicks.’’

A bloodied Heun felt he’d done enough to get the nod. “I wanted to fight one of the top guys to prove to everybody that I could compete with the top ones, and I think I did that tonight,” he said. “But I’m very disappointed with the decision. Only one judge scored the fight.

“I feel I did more than enough to win although the cuts were definitely a factor. By the third round, I was aiming my punches at the guy in the middle.’’

——–

This photo and others from Wednesday nights event can be found at Strikeforce.com.

Press Release

Edmonton, Alberta (Canada): The Fight Club (TFC), one of the fastest-growing fight promotions in Canada, had secured a main event of TFC World Welterweight Champion Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford defending his belt against the man considered to be the number one 170 lb. fighter in Hawaii, UFC veteran Brandon Wolff. The fight was to take place at TFC’s next event, “TFC 11: DESTINY” on Saturday, July 17th, live at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.

Unfortunately, Wolff sustained injuries in defense of his X-1 welterweight title this past weekend, and had to pull out of his bout with Ford. Stepping in to contest the title will be two-time WEC veteran Carlo Prater.

Tickets are available through http://www.thefightclub.ca/, or (780) 991-5670.

“DESTINY” will be shown on pay-per-view across Canada on Shaw, Shaw Direct, Bell TV, and Viewers Choice, offering virtually all Canadians the opportunity to purchase and watch the show live. The event will also be broadcasted at many commercial establishments, bars, pubs, lounges, and casinos across Canada. In addition, through a distribution agreement with Ringside Boxing & MMA, the event will be televised to a potential worldwide audience of over 150 million viewers (on a delayed basis). News on a press conference will be announced soon.

Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford (12-2) is viewed by many to be the next great Canadian welterweight after UFC 170-pound kingpin Georges St-Pierre. A native of Edmonton, “The Real Deal” won the TFC welterweight title on December 5th of last year when he knocked out California native John Walsh (10-5) in just thirteen seconds at “TFC 9: TOTAL CHOAS.” Ford holds victories over UFC vets Pete Spratt, CJ Fernandes, and Tommy Speer, who he defeated via first round submission at the most recent TFC event, “TFC 10: HIGH OCTANE” on March 19th. Ford is currently riding a four-fight win streak. In regards to the change in opponent, Ford is unfazed. “It doesn’t change my approach to the fight. I’m ready for anyone. I’m a fighter, and that’s what I do. Carlo is a good fighter, he’s a tough guy, so I think it’s going to be a test for me, and hopefully I come out on top.” And that’s exactly what he plans to do. “You never know. I can say something, but as soon as that bell rings, it all changes. I’m looking to win, and that’s my prediction.”

Carlo Prater (24-7-1) is a well-respected veteran who has faced and defeated many top MMA fighters in the sport today. A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Prater is a very dangerous combatant who has a lot of tools to finish any opponent. In 2008 he challenged WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit for the belt. The result was a loss, but afterwards, Prater dropped to the 155-pound class and won the Palace Fighting Championships lightweight belt. Now, he’ll step back into the familiar territory of the welterweight ranks and face Ryan Ford for the TFC 170-lb. strap. During his eight-year career, Prater has faced well-known competitors such as Drew Fickett, Derrick Noble, Condit, Brock Larson, and Antonio McKee, and holds victories over Melvin Guillard, Spencer “The King” Fisher, Condit (they have defeated each other once), and Pat Healy.

In addition to Prater, TFC has added several other fights to “DESTINY,” including:

- Mitch Clarke (6-0) vs. Curtis “The Demon” Demarce (8-7) – for the TFC Canadian Lightweight Title – A five-fight win streak has earned “The Demon” a title shot against the undefeated Mitch Clarke. Clarke, who is moving down from welterweight, will make his debut at 155 lbs.

- Ryan “The Kid” McGillivray (9-4-1) vs. Andrew Buckland (11-6-1) – 170 lbs. – Edmonton’s Ryan McGillivray makes his return to the TFC cage in a much-anticipated rematch with Calgary’s Andrew Buckland. The two fought to a draw April 23, 2010 in a three-round war that saw a 2nd round point deduction for an illegal blow by Buckland cost him a victory.

- Rio Wells (3-0) vs. Jason Zorthian (3-3) 170 lbs. – Ex-CFL football star Rio Wells puts his undefeated MMA record on the line against a very tough Jason Zorthian.

- Jorge Ravanal, Jr. (2-1) vs. Dave Hale (0-0) – 160 lbs

- Chuck Pelc (2-1) vs. Joel Powell (2-2) – 170 lbs.

The Fight Club is also pleased to announce the addition of Ron “The Yacman” Yacovetti, who will now handle play-by-play commentary cageside for “TFC 11: DESTINY.” “The Yacman,” who is the face of the MMA social networking website FightLaunch.com, has done fight commentary for several other organizations, including the Korean MMA promotion Spirit MC (Spirit Martial Challenge), and the Florida-based Art of Fighting promotion. In addition, Ron co-hosts a weekly Web TV series entitled “The Yac & J Show,” a comedic news magazine style show.

Look for the additional fights to be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.thefightclub.ca/

Press Release
“Ring or cage?” is MMA’s biggest debate. Fans of the ring often say that it promotes better fighting technique, while defenders of the cage like that enclosure’s dramatic “no escape” appeal. The Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) has always taken place in a ring, and it always will. Why? Because the ring provides more exciting fights and a better overall experience for the fans.

MOST OF MMA’S HISTORY IS IN THE RING
Long before MMA arrived in North America, the pre-MMA pioneers in Brazil and Japan fought in a ring. In December 1963, “Judo” Gene Lebell and boxer Milo Savage stepped into a ring in Salt Lake City, Utah to square off in North America’s first televised MMA match. Cage fighting wasn’t presented to North American TV audiences until 1993, when the aim was to promote MMA as a “deathmatch”-style spectacle.

MMA IN THE RING = CLEANER FIGHTING TECHNIQUE
Very few MMA fans have seen more fights than Eddie Goldman, who has been covering our sport for over 15 years through his legendary show, No Holds Barred (http://eddiegoldman.com ). Widely viewed as “the godfather of MMA media”, Goldman has been an outspoken proponent of the ring, citing clean techniques as the reason for his preference:

“Over the years, cage fighters have learned how to use the cage enclosure as part of their strategy. Many fighters push their opponents up against the cage, or even move them to it after taking them down. This aids brawling, but not the use of submissions or clean striking. Just look at the decline of the number of submissions in so many of the top fights in most of the companies which use a cage, then compare that to the flow of action and the aesthetics of the fights in companies like the Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC), who use the ring.” – Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred (http://eddiegoldman.com )

MMA IN A RING IS BETTER FOR SPECTATORS
It’s no secret that watching MMA in a cage isn’t great for spectators. Many MMA fans have paid hundreds of dollars for a cageside seat only to discover that they get a better view by watching the fight on the TV screens. But sight lines aren’t the only issue – the action is different too. When not inside the unforgiving walls of a cage, fighters are forced to move and press the action. There’s none of the wedged-into-the-cage ground-and-pound or wall wrestling, there’s more stand-up fighting, more movement, and more overall excitement.

CORPORATE SPONSORS PREFER TO SEE MMA IN A RING
According to MFC CEO Mark Pavelich, most of the reservations about MMA he consistently hears from potential corporate sponsors have to do with the cage. As he stated in his interview on No Holds Barred:
“I hate the cage. I’ve never liked it. It’s completely non-sport-oriented. Why do you think that big companies like Nike aren’t involved in mixed martial arts? Because the second they hear the word ‘cage’, the executives ask, ‘why are these people fighting in a cage?’”

“I run the Maximum Fighting Championship like a professional sports organization. People can debate this night and day, back and forth, for the next hundred years, but it doesn’t matter what apparatus is better to fight in. It matters what’s more acceptable to the corporate sponsors that are going to generate money for your organization to keep it alive and keep it rolling.”

THE MAXIMUM FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP WILL ALWAYS BE IN A RING
So cage or ring? The choice of fighting enclosure is going to play a big role in our sport’s future. If MMA is to continue to grow and be embraced by TV networks and combat sports fans worldwide, the ring is probably the path to follow. The Maximum Fighting Championship will always take place in a ring and for anyone who doesn’t believe that the ring promotes exciting fights, we formally invite you to come to MFC 26: Retribution. You WILL be proven wrong. Again.

Paulo Filho picked up a win at heavyweight, Olympian Satoshi Ishii dominated an exhibition fight that initially resulted in a disqualification (but later was overturned to a no-contest), and Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett suffered a loss in recent MMA action.

The trio of competitors competed in events in locales such as Brazil, Hawaii and Florida over the past weekend.

Filho, a former WEC champion, fought for the first time since pulling out of a recent non-title fight with Bellator champ Hector Lombard.