Press Release

Spike TV will telecast live undercard bouts from “UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin” on Saturday, July 3 at 9:00 PM ET/ 6:00 PM PT from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. “UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin,” featuring the heavyweight unification bout between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, will air on pay-per-view at 10:00 PM ET/ 7:00 PM P.T.

The first bout scheduled to air on Spike TV is a middleweight contest between Kendall Grove (13-7, 1 NC) and Goran Reljic (8-1). The pride of Maui, Hawaii, Grove burst onto the mixed martial arts scene by winning Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in June 2006. Grove’s last three wins in the Octagon have come over Evan Tanner, Jason Day, and Jake Rosholt and he will look to make a statement on July 3rd against Croatia native Reljic. The hard-striking Reljic made quite an impression in his UFC debut against WIlson Gouveia at UFC 84 in May 2008, winning via TKO and earning a “Fight of the Night” bonus. Following a layoff due to back surgery, Reljic engaged in a hard-fought three rounder against C.B. Doloway in his return to the Octagon at UFC 110 this past February.

The second scheduled bout of the evening on Spike TV features a heavyweight clash between “The Ultimate Fighter 10″ finalist Brendan Schaub (6-1) and Chirs Tuchscherer (18-2, 1 NC). Fighting out of Aurora, CO, Schaub easily handled Chase Gormley with a TKO victory in a mere 47 seconds this past March. A former Buffalo Bills practice-player, Schaub has honed his craft while training with Shane Carwin. He will look to use his prodigious punching power against former All-American collegiate wrestler, Tuchscherer. The Fargo, North Dakota product currently trains with Brock Lesnar and most recently defeated Tim Hague via decision at UFC 109 in February.

Other bouts on the card might air on Spike TV, to be determined by the length of the fights.

New York, NY, June 2, 2010 – Spike TV will telecast live undercard bouts from “UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin” on Saturday, July 3 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. “UFC 116: Lesnar vs Carwin,” featuring the heavyweight unification bout between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, will air on pay-per-view at 10:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM PT.

The first bout scheduled to air on Spike TV is a middleweight contest between Kendall Grove (13-7, 1 NC) and Goran Reljic (8-1).

The pride of Maui, Hawaii, Grove burst onto the mixed martial arts scene by winning Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in June 2006. Grove’s last three wins in the Octagon® have come over Evan Tanner, Jason Day and Jake Rosholt and he will look to make a statement on July 3rd against Croatia native Reljic. The hard-striking Reljic made quite an impression in his UFC debut against Wilson Gouveia at UFC 84 in May 2008, winning via TKO and earning a “Fight of the Night” bonus. Following a layoff due to back surgery, Reljic engaged in a hard-fought three rounder against C.B Dolloway in his return to the Octagon at UFC 110 this past February.

The second scheduled bout of the evening on Spike TV features a heavyweight clash between “The Ultimate Fighter 10” finalist Brendan Schaub (6-1) and Chris Tuchscherer (18-2, 1 NC).

Fighting out of Aurora, CO, Schaub easily handled Chase Gormley with a TKO victory in a mere 47 seconds this past March. A former Buffalo Bills practice-player, Schaub has honed his craft while training with Shane Carwin. He will look to use his prodigious punching power against former All-American collegiate wrestler, Tuchscherer. The Fargo, North Dakota product currently trains with Brock Lesnar and most recently defeated Tim Hague via decision at UFC 109 in February.

Other bouts on the card might air on Spike TV, to be determined by the length of the fights.

Press Release

Featured title fight between top Canadian & Hawaiian 170-pounders to headline “TFC 11: Destiny”

Edmonton, Alberta (Canada): The Fight Club (TFC), one of the fastest-growing fight promotion in Canada, has secured a world class main event for its next event, “TFC 11: FORD vs WOLFF.” On Saturday, July 17th, live at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, TFC World Welterweight Champion Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford will defend his title against the man considered to be the number one 170 lb. fighter in Hawaii, UFC veteran Brandon Wolff. Tickets are available through http://www.thefightclub.ca/, or (780) 991-5670.

TFC 11 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.

At “DESTINY,” Brandon Wolff (7-4) will be looking to lift the TFC welterweight strap from Ford. Wolff, who holds the X-1 welterweight title, stands five feet, ten inches tall, and trains with Team MMAD in Hawaii. The former Navy SEAL is a veteran of the UFC, the WEC, Rumble on the Rock, EliteXC, and K-1, and has faced top-flight competition such as Riki Fukuda, Chad Reiner, Ben Saunders, and Yoshiyuki Yoshida. After going 3-2 in an up-and-down early career, Wolff came out victorious in four straight fights, which included a unanimous decision victory over Chad Klingensmith at “EliteXC: Uprising.” In May of 2008, Wolff faced the UFC veteran Reiner for the X-1 welterweight title. After five grueling rounds, Wolff was awarded the unanimous decision victory and the championship. Now, he will look to add TFC hardware to his collection.

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: FORD vs WOLFF.” “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 California-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

Featured title fight between top Canadian & Hawaiian 170-pounders to headline “TFC 11: Destiny” event

Edmonton, Alberta (Canada): The Fight Club (TFC), one of the fastest-growing fight promotions in Canada, has secured a world class main event for its next event, “TFC 11: DESTINY.” On Saturday, July 17th, live at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, TFC World Welterweight Champion Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford will defend his title against the man considered to be the number one 170 lb. fighter in Hawaii, UFC veteran Brandon Wolff. 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.

At “DESTINY,” Brandon Wolff (7-4) will be looking to lift the TFC welterweight strap from Ford. Wolff, who holds the X-1 welterweight title, stands five feet, ten inches tall, and trains with Team MMAD in Hawaii. The former Navy SEAL is a veteran of the UFC, the WEC, Rumble on the Rock, EliteXC, and K-1, and has faced top-flight competition such as Riki Fukuda, Chad Reiner, Ben Saunders, and Yoshiyuki Yoshida. After going 3-2 in an up-and-down early career, Wolff came out victorious in four straight fights, which included a unanimous decision victory over Chad Klingensmith at “EliteXC: Uprising.” In May of 2008, Wolff faced the UFC veteran Reiner for the X-1 welterweight title. After five grueling rounds, Wolff was awarded the unanimous decision victory and the championship. Now, he will look to add TFC hardware to his collection.

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/.

Japanese Olympic gold-medalist Satoshi Ishii returns to action
against mixed martial arts rookie Myles Tyanes on June 4.

The pair meet in a featured matchup at "X-1: Nations Collide" at the
Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Ishii, the 2008 Beijing Games' judo heavyweight champion, seeks his
second-straight MMA win after earning a submission victory over Tafa
Misipati at this past week's "X-plosion: New Zealand vs. Japan" event in
New Zealand.

On Tuesday the UFC announced several ‘Grappling Superfights’ for the upcoming Grapplers Quest tournament, held as part of the second-ever UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas, in conjunction with this month’s “UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans” event.

This year’s superfights include Shayna Baszler vs. Penny Thomas, Bill Cooper vs. Hermes Franca, Fredson Paixao vs. Caol Uno and Jeff Glover vs. Javier Vazquez. Also competing at the event will be former PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi, who enters the tournament in the Men’s Advance welterweight division (169.9 pounds and under).

“For grappling fans, this is an awesome opportunity to see some of the world’s best ground fighters compete against one another,” UFC president Dana White stated in today’s official release.

The UFC Fan Expo takes place May 28 and 29 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas with action starting on Friday, May 28 at 1 p.m. PT local time. The first ‘Superfight’ includes South African Penny Thomas vs. Shayna Baszler and is followed by the Bill Cooper vs. Hermes Franca match.

About The Competitors:

Recognized for his colorful hair, engaging personality, and ferocious fighting spirit, former UFC star Hermes Franca is also widely-respected in grappling circles. A highly-decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, Franca returns to grappling competitions at the UFC Fan Expo when he takes on Bill Cooper in an exciting matchup.

At just 23 years old, Bill “The Grill” Cooper is already a grappling sensation. Since earning his black belt from Ricardo Miller at the age of 20, Cooper has won 25 Grapplers Quest titles from around the country. Now teaching in Thousand Oaks, California, Cooper will face one of the toughest tests of his young career in Hermes Franca on May 28.

Penny Thomas is a South African Jiu-jitsu star fighting out of San Diego, Calif. Training under the tutelage of Saulo and Alexandre Ribeiro, Thomas is a two-time Abu Dhabi World Champion, as well as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt and defending Grapplers Quest All-Star Pro Champion. Representing Gracie Humaitá, Thomas is eager to take on Baszler on May 28.

Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler competes out of Sioux Falls, S.D. and owns an MMA record of 11-6. Baszler has scored notable victories over Roxanne Modafferi and Megumi Yabushita in her career and looks to make a big statement with a grappling win over Thomas later this month.

One of the most respected fighters in the history of the sport, Japanese star Caol Uno began his career in 1996 and blazed a trail for lighter weight fighters. Having fought a Who’s Who of MMA, including BJ Penn, Jens Pulver, Rumina Sato, and Dennis Hallman, the 35-year-old has defeated over half of his opponents by submission. The dynamic Uno looks to test his grappling mettle when he battles Fredson Paxaio at the UFC Fan Expo.

Fredson Paixao’s accomplishments in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu speak for themselves. A four-time world champion, the 30-year old from Parintins is considered one of the best grapplers of this era. Now competing in MMA for the WEC, Paixao – who is only the second person in the world to go from purple to black belt in just four years – will get back to his roots by grappling competitively during the UFC Fan Expo.

A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the late Carlson Gracie, 34-year-old Javier Vazquez ranks among the most gifted grapplers in the world. With nine of his 14 professional MMA victories coming by way of submission, the WEC star vows to put on a show when he takes to the mat against Jeff Glover on May 29.

With 23 Grapplers Quest titles to his name, California’s Jeff Glover has taken the jiu-jitsu world by storm. Add in accolades as a 2008 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship-Silver Medalist, 2008 PacSun Hawaii Absolute/No-Gi/Gi Champion, 2007 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship Gold Medalist, and it’s clear why seeing Glover’s name on the marquee means some high-level jiu-jitsu. Among the best guard players to ever grace the mat, Glover plans to showcase his high-level grappling when he takes on Javier Vazquez later this month.

Please note that all rings of the UFC Fan Expo tournament will be stopped during these Superfights, and that while fans will get to see all the tournament and Superfight action, seating will be limited and handled on a first come, first served basis.

For more UFC Fan Expo information and to purchase tickets, visit UFCfanexpo.com. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com.

UFC.com

Joe Lauzon has posted a reply to his brother Dan’s recent comments in an article in the Boston Herald.

Dan has a fight coming up at UFC 114 against Efrain Escudero and according to Joe, is not putting in the work needed for that fight. So in a last ditch attempt at some tough love Joe and Dan’s coaches, Joe Pomfret and Steve Maze, have left the younger Lauzon to find his own way.

Posting from his personal website, JoeLauzon.com, Joe has revealed his side of the story.

Dealing with family can be really tough sometimes. When you mix business and family… it’s an absolute nightmare. You make a tough decision and its cold. You go easy on someone and they are only treated that way because they are family. I am usually tough on Dan, but it’s because I love him and want what’s best for him. I know that me being easy on him in training is not going to help him when there is someone across the cage from him trying with everything they have to hurt him.

I wouldn’t put up with any of this with anyone else at my gym, and I am no longer putting up with it with Dan.

Here is Fred Hatfield's World Record squat of 1014 at Gus Rethwisch's 1987 Hawaii World Record Breaker's Meet. According to Dr. Hatfield's web site, "His most memorable accomplishment in sport came at age 45 when, at a body weight of 255 pounds, he lifted 1014 pounds in the squat (1987), more weight than any man in history had ever lifted successfully in competition". After watching the video, I invite you to see the poll in the next news item to weigh in and comment:

It’s that time of year again and MJJ is gearing up for our 7th Annual Maui Jiu-Jitsu Open Tournament. Professor Luis Heredia has been hosting this statewide tournament for 7 years now and going strong. There will be GI and NO-GI division for Kids, Women, Men, Adult and Master Divisions. There will also be prize money for Brown & Black Belt divisions along with participation medals for all kids. Registration is $30 for kids under 14 and $60 for Adults for one or both divisions and includes free T-Shirt.

War Memorial Gymnasium
Kahului, Maui
Hawaii
MAP

More information on the official site.

CHICAGO, Ill. (May 6, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships put another piece in place for its upcoming Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament today with the addition of Las Vegas-based submission grappler Ulysses Gomez.

The 26-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt boasts a 6-1 overall professional record with all of his six victories coming via submission. He will enter the tournament in the midst of a four-fight winning streak that includes a five-round unanimous decision victory over jiu-jitsu black belt Luis “Speedy” Gonzalez last night in Fresno, Calif.

“Ulysses has a great background in jiu-jitsu which could serve him well in our 135 tournament,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He comes to us through the same management team that provided Joe Soto during Season 1, so their track record is very impressive. We’re happy to have him and look forward to watching him fight in our Bantamweight Tournament this summer.”

Gomez is the third confirmed participant in Bellator’s Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament along with Kansas City’s Danny Tims and Hawaii’s Mark Oshiro. Bellator Season 3 begins August 12th and will again be televised LIVE every Thursday night on FOX Sports Net and during taped Saturday night Bellator highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.

Gomez was born in Southern California but moved to Las Vegas at the age of 12. At around the same time, he saw his first pro MMA fight and got hooked. He started training in jiu-jitsu and competing in a variety of local and regional grappling competitions. He made the transition to MMA in his early 20s and took his first pro fight in March 2008.

A father of two, Gomez comes from a family of athletes. His older brother, Herculez, is a renowned pro soccer player who spent seven years in the MLS before moving over to Puebla FC of the Primera Division de Mexico. Ulysses Gomez is known for wearing the soccer jersey of his brother’s current team as his walk-out T-shirt before his fights.

“My brother is a great athlete and a role model to me,” he said. “My own career, on the other hand, is just getting started and I think Bellator is going to take me to the next level. I love the tournament format, I love that they market to Hispanics. God’s given me the talent, so now I want to make the most of it.”

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