Prizes:

• Absolute Division Winner of the Purple/Brown/Black Belt division receives all expenses paid trip to the 2011 Abu Dhabi Pro World Championships.
• The Top 3 winners in each division can compete in the Absolute
• This competition is open to individuals from all countries

Weigh-Ins: Friday, June 11 from 2PM to 8PM, HALL 5, Weigh-in is WITHOUT your Gi on

NOTE: When you register for a tournament you also receive free General Admission access to MMA Expo for the day of your competition.

This tournament must end by 5PM when MMA Expo closes. For this reason REGISTRATION IS LIMITED. Don’t miss your opportunity to compete in one of the most prestigious tournaments on the planet. Join the Facebook Group for more information.

This event will be pre-registration only. No walk-ins on the day of the tournament.

International Centre
6900 Airport Rd.
Mississauga, ON L4V 1E8, Canada
MAP

More information on the official site.

Jim Brown (M1a-198) set a new American squat record yesterday at the USAPL Masters Nationals in Killeen, Texas. Brown surpassed Craig Terry's previous record of 683 with his second attempt of 690. He then went 705 on his third to extend his record. This record adds to his American bench press record of 490 set in 2008.

Nothing would deter Manny Gamburyan.

The WEC featherweight told UFC/WEC matchmaker Joe Silva that WEC 48 opponent Mike Brown would have to put him asleep or break a limb to stop the fight. Short of that, there would be no letup, he said.

Gamburyan never came close to that type of danger and stopped Brown cold this past Saturday with a short, powerful right hand that likely set a featherweight title shot in motion.

Former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown says he was not distracted
by personal issues leading into his fight with Manny Gamburyan this past
Saturday at WEC 48.

After Brown suffered a first-round knockout to Gamburyan, UFC president
Dana White told reporters that the former champion suffered personal
problems in training camp and said he was tipped off to the issue by
Jake Shields and Mark DellaGrotte.

"I'm not sure where everything's coming from," Brown
today told MMAjunkie.com. "I've talked to Jake before, and I know Mark.
Everybody has issues going on, but it wasn't a factor in my fight."

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown is back to the drawing board after his second WEC loss, which came to Manny Gamburyan Saturday at WEC 48.

And though Brown asked to return to the cage as quickly as possible after losing his WEC belt to Jose Aldo this past November, UFC president Dana White learned the former champion is wrestling with personal demons that took a sizable chunk off his training time for this weekend's fight.

The people who tipped him off might surprise you.

Manny Gamburyan made a strong case for the coveted $65,000 Knockout of the Night honors at WEC 48 with a hook from hell that left former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown in an unconscious heap in the very first round.

The pair exchanged heavy right hands midway through the opening round, and when it was all said and done it was Brown who came out on the short end of the stick as he sagged to the canvas where a few well placed punches from “Manvil the Anvil” spread the icing on the cake and forced the referee to call a halt to the contest via knockout.

The pummeling took place during WEC 48 this evening from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California.

Also on the main portion of the card was Shane Roller, who turned in an impressive showing while submitting an overwhelmed Anthony Njokuani via guillotine choke in the first round, and Scott Jorgensen, who out-gritted Antonio Banuelos in a three round, knock down, drag out brawl via unanimous decison (29-28 on all three scorecards).

Saturday night marks the first of what Zuffa expects to be multiple PPV events from World Extreme Cagefighting and they couldn’t have picked a better place than Sacramento, California to start the process out! ARCO Arena will undoubtedly be full of energy for the event and the crowd should be especially pumped based on seeing their favorite local son, Urijah Faber, do his best to reclaim the WEC Featherweight Championship by beating Brazilian phenom Jose Aldo. Additionally, WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone will again face off and possibly create another classic as was the case when the two first faced off last October. Beyond that, the card also features former 145-pound title holder Mike Brown working towards his own title rematch with Manny Gamburyan standing in the way, and an undercard peppered with clashes for top contendership and a number of talented, notable young fighters.

Before I get into the “pick em” part of this article let me preclude the breakdown of bouts by saying one of the things about Mixed Martial Arts I’ve always loved is its unpredictable nature. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction with a little insight/opinion included in the deal, but readers would be wise to avoid laying down money on my attempts to glimpse into the future. In fact, you’re much safer spending $44.95 for the WEC PPV because it’s nearly a sure bet in terms of entertainment value. Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts on any or all of the scheduled fights in the “Comments” section below, and let’s get this show on the road…

PRELIMINARY CARD

Brandon Visher vs. Tyler Toner

This bout is a nice way to start out the night in that it features one of MMA’s rising featherweight stars – Brandon Visher. The young Hawaiian is 13-0 and, as indicated by his win/loss record, possesses the somewhat rare ability to finish opponents with both striking and jiujitsu. However, Toner is talented as well and shouldn’t experience any butterflies during his WEC debut based on a successful 2008 outing in Strikeforce. This match-up should be full of action and relatively even throughout, though in the end I think Visher will emerge victorious based on his well-rounded attack and mental toughness. He’s overcome a number of obstacles in his life, so I don’t believe anything that occurs in a cage will cause him to lose focus or give up unless absolutely forced to.

Winner – Brandon Visher via Submission Round 3

Takeya Mizugaki vs. Rani Yahya

Both bantamweights are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous fights and shouldn’t be afraid to engage in what will likely turn out to be a high-paced ground war. Ten of Mizugaki’s eighteen professional bouts have gone to decision, while Yahya has avoided the judges’ scorecards in his career for the most part but has 14 of 15 wins by submission. Stand-up is clearly neither man’s strong point while both are obviously comfortable on the canvas. When the dust settles I think Mizugaki will walk away victor because he’s yet to be submitted in his career, has shown knockout power, and should be able to control things from top based on Yaha’s past difficulties with solid grapplers.

Winner – Takeya Mizugaki via Decision

Chad Mendes vs. Anthony Morrison

Morrison will be looking to produce the first loss of his opponent’s career on Saturday night and was submitted in under two minutes the last time he stepped foot in a WEC cage. Granted, the loss came to former champ Mike Brown, but it certainly couldn’t have helped his confidence. However, as challenging as the task may sound, I suspect “Cheesesteak” isn’t phased by the mountain he has to climb in Mendes’ home-base of Sacramento. I think Mendes will be able to use his wrestling to take Morrison down and limit his chances of inducing a TKO. It may not be pretty, but as long as he works from the top and makes sure to avoid any rookie mistakes when it comes to avoiding an armbar or triangle-choke I think Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male will pick up their first – maybe only – win of the evening.

Winner – Chad Mendes via Decision

Brad Pickett vs. Demetrious Johnson

I am a “One Punch” Pickett fan and feel he’s in line for a shot at title contendership if his hand is raised on Saturday night. The American Top Teamer has walked away with a “W” the last eight times he’s fought and is a well-rounded competitor with fifteen finishes in eighteen professional wins. However, as little as I know about Johnson, he’s apparently wiped the mat with all five opponents he’s faced in his career and can’t be dismissed based on his collection of first-round victories as well as the mixture of submissions/knockouts involved. I’m expecting Pickett to move around a lot in the striking department while mixing in jabs in hopes of avoiding Johnson’s power, while also eventually setting up a takedown to work his noteworthy jiujitsu or possibly even catching Johnson in a Guillotine Choke if he himself takes a stab at bringing the action down onto the mat.

Winner – Brad Pickett via Submission Round 2

Anthony Pettis vs. Alex Karalexis

It seems that Karalexis has become a promotional staple as the event will mark his seventh consecutive bout in the company. He always comes to fight and isn’t afraid to slug it out so as far as I’m concerned I hope there’s an eighth appearance regardless of how he fares against Pettis. Speaking of which, “Showtime” is a little more slippery than the Ultimate Fighter alumnus and a greater submission threat as well, but Karalexis is a scrapper who isn’t afraid of taking a little damage to dish out a lot of it. Pettis will have to take the same approach if he hopes to win. His kicks are known to be game-changers, but they also risk exposure to being taken down, so it will be interesting to see if he’s willing to throw a few and feel out Karalexis’ defense. If he fights on his heels or gets sucked into a takedown I think his veteran opponent will be able to use his strength and wrestling to find an advantageous position on the ground, then rain down a few bombs until Pettis covers up and the referee stops things.

Winner – Alex Karalexis via TKO Round 1

Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung

I’ve felt lately as though Garcia is at a very interesting point in his career. He hasn’t been quite the force at featherweight many hoped he would be when dipping down to the division from 155-pounds, and part of me thinks it may be due to the amount of damage he’s absorbed in his 10+ years of combat sports. He’s had some wars in the ring, and, at least if the WEC 48 Countdown special was any indication, some battles in the gym as well. Fortunately for “Bad Boy”, Jung is primarily a grappler and shouldn’t be able to hang with the one-time boxer as long as Garcia can keep things standing. It’s a victory the Texan absolutely has to have after losing/drawing in his last two fights. As such, I think Jung will have to literally rip off Garcia’s arms if he hopes to win, let alone survive, because he won’t find the words “quit” or “tired” in the Jackson Submission trained competitor’s vocabulary once the cage door closes. However, as chance would have it, Jung’s nickname is “The Korean Zombie” so it sounds like dismemberment may actually be a possibility.

Winner – Leonard Garcia via TKO Round 2

MAIN CARD

Scott Jorgensen vs. Antonio Banuelos

I think it’s safe to say Jorgenson and Banuelos are fighting for a crack at Dominick Cruz’s championship so there’s an added layer of drama involved in this pairing as opposed to most of the others on the card. Banuelos beat Jorgensen a little more than a year ago at WEC 41 but has only fought once since then while his opponent on Saturday night has racked up a trio of wins (including two first-round finishes). Their previous contest resulted in a split decision, and I think Jorgensen has improved enough since their original clash to reverse his fortunes this time around. Banuelos is definitely a tough draw, and I don’t see either man being knocked out or submitted at any point, but I believe Jorgensen’s wrestling, top control, and non-stop motor are enough to make the difference.

Winner – Scott Jorgensen via Decision

Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller

Njokuani has easily been one of WEC’s most impressive 155-pounders over the past year due to his trio of TKOs over Bart Palaszewski, Chris Horodecki, and Muhsin Corbbrey. The only two losses of his career are to the co-headlining duo of Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone. As long as he stuffs Roller’s takedowns and avoids the occasional submission attempt he should have no problem rolling on to a shot at either Jamie Varner or the WEC Lightweight Championship.

Winner – Anthony Njokuani via TKO Round 2

Mike Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan

Gamburyan has been impressive since dropping to 145-pounds and dominated a game opponent in Leonard Garcia the last time he set foot in a ring. However, as strong as he may be, I don’t think his power or grappling skills will translate well when he locks up with the former WEC Featherweight Champion. Brown’s wrestling is on par or surpasses any of his peers’ in the division, and he trains with a number of top jiujitsu practitioners in Florida at American Top Team so he’s well-versed on the mat. Beyond that the MMA memorabilia collector also packs dynamite in his gloves and can flatten a foe with one punch if necessary. I think Gamburyan’s takedowns are going to be ineffective for the most part and he’ll eventually eat a shot that leads to either a TKO stoppage or ground-based transition into a rear-naked choke.

Winner – Mike Brown via Submission Round 3

Ben Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone

Watching the WEC 48 Countdown special I couldn’t help but find myself a little more excited for this rematch than I initially was when the bout was first announced. No, it wasn’t because of their differing personalities or because Henderson’s favorite Charlton Heston work is probably “The Ten Commandments” while Cerrone’s is Heston’s affiliation with the National Rife Association. Rather, I found myself remembering how incredibly entertaining their original scrap was and how much potential is seemingly involved for them to repeat or surpass the feat this weekend. Cerrone has more ways to finish things in his bag of tricks, but Henderson is fast, athletic, and seems to be improving on a per-fight basis while Cerrone has leveled off to an extent. Ben’s strikes are crisp and precise, while his wrestling is solid and his conditioning seems to be top notch. Simply because I think “Cowboy” will rope “Smooth” into some rough patches I’m going to pick him by decision but I will not be surprised, nor disappointed, if Henderson retains his title and flashes perhaps the most infectious smile in MMA shortly thereafter.

Winner – Donald Cerrone via Decision

Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber

Urijah Faber lives a charmed life, does he not? “The California Kid” is a local hero, an exceptional athlete, a successful businessman, and the face of a popular Mixed Martial Arts promotion. He’s also receiving a second title shot a single win removed from a loss as well as a consecutive crack at the belt in his hometown of Sacramento. However, as easy as it might appear to be to dislike Faber, the reality is he’s worked extremely hard for everything he has and is considered to be one of the most genuine individuals in the sport. Of course, none of those things matter to Jose Aldo, and hopefully the same can be said about Urijah as well due to the inherent danger involved in facing someone with Aldo’s abilities. The WEC Featherweight Champion has looked other-worldly in all six of his fights for the promotion with the only loss of his career coming shortly after his 19th birthday against submission specialist Luciano Azevedo. I like Faber’s speed in terms of helping to avoid some of the devastating strikes the young Brazilian is known for, but outside of taking him down at will and holding him down I don’t see many ways Faber can dethrone Aldo. On the other hand, the former champ’s chin has been successfully tested by Tyson Griffin and Mike Brown, and if Aldo’s jiujitsu is as good as rumored he could be a major threat on the ground as well. Even a striker of Jens’ Pulver’s caliber circa 2008 was able to go five rounds with Faber. My apologies to those of you reading this on the West Coast, but I think fans in Sac-Town will be going home disappointed on Saturday night.

Winner – Jose Aldo via Submission Round 2

The undercard for UFC 116 just got a bit more exciting with a fight between Matt Brown and Chris “Lights Out” Lytle has been booked according to a recent report on MMA Fighting.

Both fighters usually put on some of the most exciting fights in the welterweight division and this fight should be no different. This fight has been added to what should be a huge event with the return of Brock Lesnar in the main event.

This will be a rematch from 2007 in the United Fight League, as Lytle choked Brown out with a guillotine choke in the second round.

Since his return to the UFC after a stint on the fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Lytle has racked up seven “Of the Night” bonuses, with four fights of the night bonuses against the likes of Kevin Burns, Marcus Davis, Paul Taylor, and Thiago Alves. Since his return in 2007, Lytle has gone 6-3 with his only loses to Davis, Alves, and Matt Hughes. His most recent victory was over Brian Foster in-which he executed a beautiful rolling kneebar only a minute into the fight.

Brown made his debut after his stint on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Griffin, and has gone 4-2 in the promotion, with his only losses to Dong Hyun-Kim and recently to Ricardo Almeida at UFC 111. Brown’s most memorable fight in the octagon might be his fight against Pete Sell at UFC 96, in which he dropped Sell to only have the fight restarted, and then proceeded to pound Sell some more despite Brown wanting the fight stopped.

UFC 116 takes place on July 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and it will be aired on PPV.

US Grappling returns to Savannah, GA on Saturday, June 26, 2010 for our tenth Submission Only event! Registration is now open!

Saturday weigh ins will be held from 8 AM to 10 AM for anyone competing in no gi divisions, and will be extended to noon for anyone that will only be competing in the gi. Competitors can also register and weigh in Friday night from 6-8 PM at the venue. Competitors do not need to wear the gi during weigh ins.

Fastest submission!
The competitor with the fastest submission of the entire tournament will win free admission into all US Grappling Submission Only events for one full year!

Free T-shirt for All Pre-Registered Competitors!
All competitors who register online and pay before 6/24/2010 at 8 PM will receive a free t-shirt.

Submission Only T-shirt

Men’s Gi Division Absolute Winners
Winners of the men’s black, brown, purple, blue, and white belt absolute divisions will win a gi.

Check out our rules, weight classes, and FAQ.

Note: This event is for adults only. Teens may compete in adult divisions with permission of their parents and coaches.

Tentative Event Schedule
Note – Due to the nature of submission only events, the schedule is tentative. The schedule will be updated as the event date approaches.

Weigh ins begin for all divisions – 8:00 AM
Weigh ins end for ALL No Gi divisions – 10:00 AM SHARP.
Rules Meeting – 10:45 AM
Not before 11:00 AM – Men’s Advanced No Gi
Not before 11:00 AM – Women’s No Gi (all skills)
Not before 11:00 AM – 30+ No Gi (all skills)
Not before 11:30 AM – Men’s Intermediate No Gi
Weigh ins end for all Gi divisions – 12:00 Noon SHARP
Not before 12:30 PM – Men’s Beginner No Gi
Not before 12:30 PM – Men’s Novice No Gi
Not before 1:30 PM – Men’s Purple/Brown/Black (these are separate divisions)
Not before 1:30 PM – Women’s Gi (all belts)
Not before 1:30 PM – 30+ Gi (all belts)
Not before 2:30 PM – Men’s Blue Belt
Not before 3:00 PM – Men’s White Belt

The absolute divisions will begin when the weight classes for that belt or skill have finished. For example, when all of the men’s advanced no gi divisions have finished, we will begin the men’s advanced absolute. The last divisions of the day will be the men’s white belt absolute.

Supergoose Sports Complex
3700 Wallin Street,
Savannah, GA‎ 31404
MAP

More information on the official site.

Press Release

The sport of MMA is a rough business and when our athletes train as hard as they do, injuries can inevitably happen. Unfortunately, Ronin MMA standout Nick ‘The Ninja of Love’ Denis got injured in training and will not be facing Ian ‘The Barn Owl’ Loveland for the Wreck Bantamweight Title. Stepping up on short notice and coming in as an underdog is Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts’ Xavier ‘Pitbull’ Desrochers.

When Desrochers learnt of Denis’ injury, he immediately asked for the fight and jumped at the opportunity to fight for a World Title against some of Loveland’s pedigree. The 37 year old Desrochers has been training for for almost 10 years and has only recently begun his MMA career but this BJJ standout has been given the opportunity of a lifetime to shock the MMA world.

“To step up on short notice to face someone of Loveland’s calibre is a real testament to Xavier’s character,” said matchmaker Alex Caporicci. “Xavier not only saw this as an opportunity to test himself and potentially win a title, but to step up and help Wreck when he was needed most. I’m really excited to see this fight that reminds me a lot of a real life Rocky story where the veteran underdog can potentially suprise the world class fighter.”

Also changed on the card is Jenn Ricker from Sudbury BJJ will be making her MMA debut stepping up against FIT MMA’s Anna ‘Smiles’ Barone. Ricker is the third opponent for Barone who is just excited about stepping into the Wreck ring one more time and was ready to face anyone that Wreck put in front of her.
In attendance will be UFC Veteran Rolles Gracie and his brother, Bellator & Wreck veteran Igor Gracie who will be signing autographs and taking pictures with the fans. Do not miss the opportunity to meet two members of the first family of MMA.

Wreck: Unite for Brian’s Fight is brought to you by Fitshop.ca and tickets for this stacked event are available at TICKETMASTER.CA or by calling (613) 755-1111. Buy your tickets now to assure yourself a spot for the one show you do not want to miss!! Tickets are also available at The Fit Shop on 1383 Clyde Avenue in Ottawa. Bring your Wreck ticket and receive 10% off on all products and 15% off all Musclepharm products!!!

Musclepharms ASSAULT and the best cutting supplement out there RIPPED FREAK will be on sale at the event for ONLY 40$! The Fit Shop is having this special promotion to thank everyone for their huge support.

About Wreck and Brian’s Fight

As Wreck continues our policy of adding a charitable aspect to all our events, Wreck MMA will return to the Robert Guertin Arena to help a member of the Ottawa community. Brian Dyck was diagnosed Lou Gehrig’s Disease in October 2009. Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS ultimately leads to death. Brian has not only served his country in the Canadian forces but is currently an Ottawa police officer. His life has been devoted to helping others including his wife Natalie and their one year old daughter Sophi. It is no secret, Brian will leave us – and his family will need our help! Wreck MMA will donate up to $50,000 to Brian and his family, but we cannot do this without your help! We are calling for the members of the MMA community and the Ottawa/Gatineau region to all come together to help a family that needs us. Let’s all unite; for Brian’s fight.

WRECK MMA: UNITE FOR BRIAN’S FIGHT – CONFIRMED FIGHTS
Date: APRIL 16th, 2010
Venue: ROBERT GUERTIN ARENA
Location: GATINEAU, QUEBEC

MAIN EVENT – Wreck Bantamweight Title

Ian ‘The Barn Owl’ Loveland (Team Quest, Oregon) vs. Xavier ‘Pitbull’ Desrochers (OAMA, Ottawa)

CO-MAIN EVENT

Simon ‘The Mutant’ Marini (Regency Boxing, Hamilton) vs. Louis-Philippe ‘The Joker’ Carle (FIT MMA/Zahabi MMA, Ottawa)
Kurt Southern (Alliance, Saskatoon) vs. Samuel Guillet (BTT Canada, Montreal)
Chase Degenhardt (Progressive Fighting Academy, Lethbridge) vs. Craig ‘Farmer’ Brown (FIT MMA, Ottawa)
Justin Smethurst (Team MFC, Windsor) vs. Stephane Bernadel (OAMA, Ottawa)
Stephane Pelletier (Juvaldo MMA, Val D’Or) vs. Mike ‘Hurricane’ Hong (BAMA, Burlington)
Jeff Laughren (RAMA, Rockland) vs. Gerry Bruyere (Florin’s Ultimate MMA, Kanata)
Jenn Ricker (Sudbury BJJ, Sudbury) vs. Anna ‘Smiles’ Barone (FIT MMA, Ottawa)
Paul Ebejer (Team Tugboat, Toronto) vs. Mike Reily (Bluewater Martial Arts, Rockland)
Mikael Pellerin (Team Legion, Victoriaville) vs. Randy Turner (OAMA, Ottawa)
Albert Cheng (Iron Tiger/Xtreme Couture) vs. Wes Ranger (Florin’s Ultimate MMA, Kanata)

*** Subject to change ***