Sergio Penha is one of the newest members of an elite club in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who have earned the red and black belt. After being a black belt for thirty-one years, he was awarded his red and black belt on June 7th at the 2010 BJJ World Championship alongside Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti and Mauricio Motta Gomes (Roger Gracie’s father).

Perhaps you have also heard of Sergio Penha for being “the man who almost beat Rickson Gracie“. That’s right, Penha was the closest to breaking the aura of invincibility of the lion of the Gracie family: Penha had racked up a significant lead against Rickson when in the final moments Rickson came back and submitted Penha just before the whistle blew.

And how many jiu-jitsu practitioners who have reached black belt do you know that were never a brown belt? I didn’t know any, until now. That’s right, Penha skipped brown belt altogether.

We will hear about all the above stories and much more straight from Rio de Janeiro native Sergio Penha himself in this episode of The FightWorks Podcast. But if there is one theme in the show, it is his sincere appreciation for the wonderful benefits that jiu-jitsu brings us.

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
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Sergio Penha displays the certificate awarded by the IBJJF certifying that he has reached red and black belt.

Press Release

For the second time in a week, the Maximum Fighting Championship has added a first-class talent from Brazil to its growing stable of impressive fighters.

Light heavyweight Glover Teixeira (9-2) has joined the MFC talent pool and is expected to make his organizational debut at the soon-to-be-announced MFC 26 event. The native of Sobralia, Brazil, has scored seven of his nine victories by way of KO/TKO and came highly recommended by several sources, not the least of which was his friend, MFC middleweight title contender Thales Leites.

“When you hear things like ‘He can beat anyone in the division’ and those kinds of statements are coming from well-respected people, you have to take notice,” said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “I believe that Glover can make an immediate and serious impact in the grand scheme of our light heavyweight picture.

“The MFC is becoming more of a global product and international fighters are stepping up to become part of the action. It is an important aspect of our growth to be adding fighters like Glover Teixeira, Thales Leites, Tom Watson, and Luciano Azevedo.”

The Teixeira signing comes on the heels of the MFC adding Azevedo (16-8) to its contingent of lightweights. The Rio de Janeiro product is the lone fighter to hold a victory over world-ranked standout Jose Aldo, earning a submission victory in 2005. Azevedo, whose career victory list is also highlighted by a decision win over veteran Din Thomas, is also expected to make his organizational and North American debut at the forthcoming MFC 26.

Teixeira has fought somewhat sparingly throughout his career, no more than twice a year since turning pro, but he is expected to become significantly busier under the MFC banner. The 30-year-old has fought twice already in 2010 in his native Brazil, coming away with a pair of convincing victories. Notable wins have come at various points for Teixeira beginning with the lone decision outcome of his career, taking the judges’ verdict over veteran Matt Horwich. Teixeira scored a stunning five-second knockout win over Jorge Oliveira and earned the biggest win to date in his career by handing “The African Assassin” Sokoudjou the first loss of his career with a stellar first-round knockout only 1:41 into their 2006 encounter.

While clearly well-versed in the stand-up game, Teixeira has showcased a multitude of skills on the ground as well. He captured the 2009 title in the under-99 kg class at the Brazilian ADCC championship which qualified him for the world competition alongside such well-known names as Dean Lister, Vinny Magalhaes, and Ricco Rodriguez. Teixeira had previously competed against Jeff Monson and Brandon Vera in grappling events, and he was featured in Season 2 of the “TapouT” reality TV series.

Press Release

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – For nearly four years, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has ruled the 185-pound weight class with an iron fist. On August 7th, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, he will look to add to his record six title defenses when he takes on the one man brash enough to call him out, number one contender Chael Sonnen. This championship bout, which is the main event of UFC 117: SILVA vs. SONNEN presented by Tequila Cazadores, headlines the first UFC® event in Oakland.

UFC 117 also features former Ultimate Fighting Championship® welterweight champion and recent inductee into the UFC® Hall of Fame Matt Hughes against 170-pound contender Ricardo “Big Dog” Almeida, and an explosive lightweight bout pitting Clay “The Carpenter” Guida against Rafael dos Anjos.

“When we offered Chael Sonnen this shot at the title, he promised us one thing: that he was going to make this a fight,” said UFC President Dana White. “I know he means it, and after beating three legit contenders in Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami, and Dan Miller, he’s definitely going to bring the best out of Anderson Silva on August 7th. And as far as Anderson is concerned, he wants to remind everybody why he’s considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”

“We are very excited about this event coming to Oakland and have been receiving many inquiries about the match,” said Mark Kaufman, SMG’s GM at Oracle Arena. “We anticipate seeing many more fights in years to come.”

Tickets for UFC 117 will go on sale Friday, June 11 at 10am PT and will be priced at $400, $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50. Tickets are available either online at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, by visiting the Oracle Arena Box Office or at any Ticketmaster outlet. The Oracle Arena Box Office is open Monday thru Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-2pm. Prices do not include service charges.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, June 9 starting at 10am PT via UFCFightClub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers on Thursday, June 10 starting at 10am PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC 117 will be available live on Pay-Per-View on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

Undefeated in the UFC and one of the most dominant champions to ever grace the Octagon™, Anderson “The Spider” Silva (fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil / professional record – 26-4) made his sixth successful title defense against Demian Maia at UFC 112, a streak that dates back to July of 2007. Known for his striking abilities, Silva is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under the world-renowned Nogueira brothers and a dynamic fighter who can do it all in the Octagon. His length often causes problems for his opponents, as only two of his last 11 victories have gone to the scorecards. But the champion now faces a fighter that believes he has figured out a way to stop The Spider.

“Chael is a very good fighter,” Silva said. “I am training very hard with my team, and Minotauro Nogueira and Lyoto Machida, and I will be ready. This is a title fight and I expect him to be ready because I know I will be. If the guy wants to talk that’s fine. It’s a lot different inside the Octagon.”

Unbeaten in his last three UFC fights over top-level competition, Chael Sonnen (fighting out of West Linn, Ore. / 26-10-1) is an experienced fighter, with a high pedigree in wrestling. Sonnen is a former U.S. Olympic team alternate, as well as a two-time National Champion in Greco-Roman wrestling at the University of Oregon. Sonnen, who is known for putting constant pressure on his opponents, is coming off impressive wins over Dan Miller, Yushin Okami, and Nate Marquardt, and he wants to make it four in a row by adding the name of Anderson Silva to that list.

“He’s been ducking me for four years,” Sonnen said of the UFC middleweight champion. “This fight is a large part about the title and a large part about him. We’re not going to be friends. He’s not my kind of guy. But this fight is also to prove a point to the rest of the guys in the division. One guy has challenged him in four years and it’s been me.”

Matt Hughes (fighting out of Hillsboro, Ill. / 45-7) is perhaps the greatest welterweight the UFC® has ever seen, having defended the UFC® welterweight title an unprecedented seven times over two reigns. Hughes has beaten some of the biggest names in MMA, such as Georges St. Pierre, BJ Penn and Royce Gracie, and is riding a two-fight winning streak with victories over Matt Serra and Renzo Gracie. One of Hughes’ strengths is his wrestling ability, stemming from his college career where he was a four-time collegiate wrestling All-American, and he will bring that talent to the Octagon to face Almeida in August.

After winning his debut fight in the welterweight division at UFC® 111 against Matt Brown, Ricardo “Big Dog” Almeida (fighting out of Hamilton, N.J. / 12-3) looks to further prove he is a contender at his new weight. Almeida looked impressive with his submission of Brown, which is no surprise since he takes pride in his ground game. Along with that, Almeida is a third degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a four-time Brazilian national champion. Almeida has been victorious in his last three fights, but his match against Hughes will have added meaning given the fact that the former welterweight champion defeated his jiu-jitsu professor, Renzo Gracie, in April.

Known for his solid chin and relentless endurance, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida (fighting out of Johnsburg, Ill./26-8) has helped create some memorable fights for the UFC, garnering ‘Fight of the Night’ honors three times, most recently versus Diego Sanchez at The Ultimate Fighter®: US vs. UK finale. Every time Guida steps into the Octagon, he is almost guaranteed to be in one of the most exciting fights of the evening. The Illinois native has won four of his last six fights, with his submission victory over Shannon Gugerty being his most recent victory.

Rafael dos Anjos (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/14-4) is riding a wave of momentum, having won his last three fights. The experienced Brazilian has fought five times in the UFC and has proven to be a worthy contender in the lightweight division, most recently defeating Rob Emerson, Kyle Bradley, and Terry Etim.

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com, UK.UFC.com, Germany.UFC.com, UFCJapan.jp or UFCEspanol.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Press Release

Brazilian lightweight only man to beat World Champion Jose Aldo

The Maximum Fighting Championship has added a fighter with impressive credentials to its talent roster in the lightweight ranks.

Brazilian star Luciano Azevedo (16-8) boasts a strong resume and the native of Rio de Janeiro is expected to make his organization – and North American – debut at MFC 26. Details on the show and its lineup will be announced shortly. Azevedo has signed an exclusive four fight deal with The Maximum
Fighting Championship.

The 26-year-old, who has won six of his last eight encounters, holds the distinction of being the only fighter to best world-renown featherweight Jose Aldo, capturing a submission victory via rear-naked choke when the two met in 2005 in Brazil. One of Azevedo’s other career highlights is a decision win over veteran Din Thomas – a verdict that came just four months after his victory over Aldo.

“I’m very excited to have Luciano in our organization and I’m expecting big things from him. I believe he can deliver in a big way,” said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “Obviously he has a great resume particularly with his win over Aldo – the only man in the world that has that distinction. Luciano has all the tools to be a champion so I’m hopeful he will live up to the expectations.”

Azevedo has yet to fight in North America, predominantly fighting in his native Brazil but also making five trips to England, two to Japan, and a single matchup in France. The five-foot-eight jiu-jitsu practitioner and wrestler has won 12 of his fights by submission – five each by triangle choke and armbar along with two via rear-naked choke.

NEW YORK (May 10, 2010) – Popular, unbeaten welterweight Jesse Finney (5-0) of St. Louis will try to cash in against Justin DeMoney (14-2-1) of Ottumwa, Idaho, in the top non-televised undercard fight when Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) returns to The Gateway City with STRIKEFORCE St. Louis: Heavy Artillery at Scottrade Center this Saturday, May 15.

The remaining six non-televised fights will include nine fighters from St. Louis or the surrounding areas: The St. Louis fighters are Michael Chandler (2-0), Tom Aaron (6-2), Eric Steenberg (3-0) and Matt Ricehouse (1-0). The others are Darryl Cobb (3-1) of East St. Louis, Lee “Manimal’’ Brousseau (4-1) of Wood River, Ill., Booker DeRousse (2-2) of St. Genevieve, Mo., Sal Woods (4-7) of Granite City, Ill., and Greg Wilson (pro debut) of Cobden, Ill.

Chandler throws down with Woods at 170 pounds; Aaron takes on Steenberg at 185 pounds, Ricehouse battles Wilson at 125 pounds, Brousseau faces Francisco “Kiko” France of Rio De Janiero, Brazil, at 205 pounds and Cobb meets DeRousse at 145 pounds.

In the final undercard bout on a stacked fight card, STRIKEFORCE newcomer Vitor “Shaolin’’ Ribeiro (20-3) of Rio De Janeiro will face undefeated Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (13-0) of Spokane, Wash., at 155 pounds The aforementioned matchups will precede a five-fight telecast on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

Doors will open at 6 p.m. CT on May 15. The first preliminary bout is at 6:30. Tickets are on sale at Scottrade Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

Finney, a graduate of Affton High in St. Louis, has been victorious in all his fights in the first round, including a 1:55 submission (keylock) over Josh Baumgarner on the last STRIKEFORCE event in St. Louis on June 6, 2009.

Before MMA, Finney went unbeaten as a kickboxer (23-0) and is 8-2 as a pro boxer. Finney also is the head coach of the St. Louis Enforcers of Chuck Norris’s World Combat League.

“I know DeMoney is a super tough guy so this should be my biggest test in MMA,’’ said the six-foot, 35-year-old Finney who is the owner and head instructor of his own gym, Finney’s MMA in St. Louis. “He says he likes to stand and trade. If he really wants to do that, I look forward to the challenge of banging it out. I think I match up well with him in every area. Keys to getting this win are just being the athlete I am, and using my size and strength. I think I can beat him anywhere it goes.’’

To better concentrate on the upcoming fight, Finney trained in Las Vegas for a month.

“I chose to leave and go to Vegas just to be able to train and that’s it,’’ he said. “I have a few businesses in St. Louis and I am very thankful for that, but trying to run them and train full-time was just too much. This is crazy but believe it or not, my wife talked me into going to Vegas. It turned out to be one of the best things I have ever done.

“I think most people think I am a kickboxer doing MMA and that’s simply not the truth anymore. I focus on my weaknesses every day and try to stay sharp on my strengths. My future in MMA is whatever Scott Coker wants. I’m a team player for STRIKEFORCE and always will be.

“I am not going to let anybody down on May 15.’’

DeMoney has remained extremely active since turning pro in 2007. A seven-time Extreme Challenge veteran, he fought six times that year, four times in ‘09 and on five occasions in ’08.

This will be DeMoney’s 2010 debut. He has gone unbeaten in his last nine starts (8-0-1). His last five victories have come inside the distance, including a second-round submission (punches) over Jesse Sanders in his last outing on Oct. 17, 2009.

Chandler, a former teammate of top prospect Tyron Woodley and a NCAA Division I All American, is a super-aggressive fighter who possesses great athleticism and speed, but his most impressive attributes may be his work ethic and ferocious tenacity. The 5-foot-8, 24-year-old has won both his starts by TKO (punches).

In his last effort, Chandler defeated Richard Bouphanouvong in the second round at a STRIKEFORCE event last Nov. 20. Chandler dispatched Kyle Swadley at 3:30 of the opening round in his pro debut on Aug. 8, 2009.

Woods is a hard-working, determined fighter looking to regain his winning ways. “I’m really looking forward to this fight and I know we will put on a great show,’’ said Woods, who lost to Woodley on June 6, 2009, at Scottrade Center. “MMA is not for everyone; it’s all about hard work and I’ve put in all the work for this fight.’’

Aaron , a 5-foot-8, 31-year-old who fights out of Finney’s MMA, has won two out of three, including a TKO over Calvin Simmons in his outing on Nov. 21, 2009. Aaron went 6-0 in the amateurs.

Steenburg has won all three of his efforts in the second round. He ended matters with James Marino in his last start on Aug. 28, 2009, with a head kick 11 seconds into the session.

Ricehouse, who is making his STRIKEFORCE debut, registered a third-round KO (punches) over Tim Thomas in his pro debut on Jan. 30, 2010.

Cobb has been triumphant three consecutive times since losing his initial MMA fight. After winning two straight inside the distance, he won last time out on a split decision over Gary Tapasua at the STRIKEFORCE event on Nov. 20, 2009. DeRousse, who scored a first-round TKO over James Wade on June 6, 2009, at Scottrade Center, lost his last fight to Lee Brousseau on Oct. 3, 2009, via submission.

Brousseau is making his first start since defeating DeRousse. His three victories, which include a 0:18 KO (punches) over Greg LoFink on April 11, 2009, have totaled just 5:34. France is a highly touted grappling specialist who has won all his fights via first-round submissions: Total cage time: 3:39.

Ribeiro, a 30-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, is among the top lightweights in MMA. He’s won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship four times, once as a purple belt in 1996 and three times as a black belt in three consecutive years (1999-2001).
Beerbohm is a top up-and-coming fighter who literally started MMA on his way home from prison after he spent a year and one day at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla as a result of felony convictions, all related to his crystal meth addiction.

In the May 15 main event, STRIKEFORCE World Heavyweight Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem (32-11) will defend against heavy-handed knockout artist Brett “The Grim” Rogers (10-1). Former world champions Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (15-7) and Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (13-2) are matched in another heavyweight confrontation.

In other televised fights on SHOWTIME: Unbeaten Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu sensation Roger Gracie (2-0) will make his STRIKEFORCE and U.S. MMA debut against two-time NCAA National Wrestling Champion and former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin “The Monster” Randleman (17-14) in a light heavyweight scrap, middleweight superstar “Jacare” Souza (11-2) will face determined, hard-hitting Joey Villasenor (27-6) and Antwain “The Juggernaut” Britt (11-3) will collide with Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (8-2) at 205 pounds.

Shamrock Promotions is assisting STRIKEFORCE with local marketing for the event.

Press Release

Thales Leites made quick work of Jesse Taylor, and Ryan Jimmo made a huge statement with a convincing victory at the Maximum Fighting Championship’s MFC 25: Vindication.

In front of more than 4,000 fans at the Northlands Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, and live on HDNet, Leites (17-3) submitted Taylor with an impressive triangle choke at the 2:27 mark of the first round. Taylor (14-6) initially forced Leites to the mat with a double-leg takedown, but the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, product scored big a strike from the bottom that opened a deep gash on Taylor’s eyebrow. That was the beginning of the end as Leites smoothly transitioned into the submission manoeuvre and forced the tapout.

It was a second straight win in the Maximum Fighting Championship for Leites and moved him to the top of the contender list for the MFC middleweight title.

In the night’s co-main event, Jimmo (13-1) surely shocked a number of mixed martial arts pundits as he dominated Wilson Gouveia (12-8) en route to a clear-cut unanimous decision. Jimmo showed his patented counter-striking in Round 1 and then thoroughly applied the heat on Gouveia in Round 2. Jimmo surprisingly took Gouveia down but instead of being caught up in the Brazilian’s jiu-jitsu skills, Jimmo unleashed a ferocious ground-and-pound assault. At one point, Jimmo had Gouveia stacked up in a neutral corner and rained down countless strikes that nearly forced referee John Braak to step in and stop bout. At the end of the round, a battered and bruised Gouveia needed help returning to his corner.

Jimmo continued to showcase a much more confident attack in Round 3, and despite getting caught with a punch from Gouveia in the early moments, he cruised to the win. A pair of judges gave Jimmo a 10-8 score in Round 2 and he finished with counts of 30-27, 30-26, 30-26 in his favor. Jimmo, who now fights out of Edmonton, Alberta, was given a huge ovation by the home-town crowd for the best performance of his career – a result which has tabbed him as the front-runner for a shot at the MFC light heavyweight title.

Meanwhile, former MFC light heavyweight champ Emanuel Newton showed that cleaning up his act outside the ring had a profound effect on his in-ring performance. Newton (13-6), who hails from Norwalk, California, utilized outstanding takedowns and control to take a unanimous decision from crowd favorite Dwayne Lewis (11-5). Newton, whose corner was anchored by MFC lightweight champ Antonio McKee, put a stop to his own three-fight losing skid while snapping Lewis’s own seven-fight win streak. The result was a bitter pill to swallow for Lewis who had more than 400 fans in the audience from his home town of Fort McMurray, Alberta.

In an entertaining welterweight encounter, veteran Pete Spratt (21-17) picked up the Knockout of the Night by stopping Luigi Fioravanti (17-7) at 4:02 of Round 3. Spratt took control in Round 2 doing most of his damage with brutal kicks to the body. In the third, Spratt dropped Fioravanti with a stiff jab and then pounced with a barrage that brought upon the stoppage. It was the second straight win in the Maximum Fighting Championship for the native of San Antonio, Texas, who captured the MFC’s 2009 Knockout of the Year in his last appearance at MFC 22 back in October.

Gavin Neil (8-1) picked up the Submission of the Night by coaxing a tapout from Richie Hightower (8-4) at 2:52 of Round 1. Hightower was done in by a wicked left hook from Neil and the Victoria, British Columbia, native moved quickly into a fight-ending rear-naked choke.
　
Other results:

Chase Gormley (7-2) def. Ryan Fortin (4-3) – Unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Chad Freeman (4-3) def. Mike Froese (3-3) – 3:48 Round 1, tapout via armbar

Keto Allen (4-0) def. Aaron Berke (4-2) – 2:58 Round 1, TKO

Jevon Marshall (1-0) def. Garret Nybakken (1-1) – 2:00 Round 3, tapout via rear-naked choke

A photo of the Gracies circa 1962 from the family archive, donated by Angela Gracie to the film.

Back in September we brought you an interview with Victor Cesar Bota, the director of the documentary titled The Gracies. In a conversation with Bota earlier this week, he gave a few more details about when we can expect to see the movie. As of this moment, Bota is confident that his movie about the Gracie family, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu by extension, will be available this coming autumn. The film for the most part is already finished and only legal formalities remain.

While the film itself is expected to be an important addition to early jiu-jitsu historians’ collections, Bota offered that the bonus materials will be appreciated by jiu-jitsu fans as well. The bonus section of the film will include the following original footage:

• Scenes from moments before Renzo Gracie’s very first MMA fight. Shot at the 1992 Gracie Vale Tudo Desafio in Rio de Janeiro, the backstage video is said to include a young Renzo’s arrival at the event and time in the locker room with Ryan Gracie.
• Footage from the early 1980’s of the late Rolls Gracie training with Rickson, Royce, and Rillion Gracie while Helio Gracie observes.
• Original video from the backyard challenge fight between Gracie Barra students and Carlson Gracie students. Robson, Renzo, and Ryan are on one side while Carlson’s guys are on the other.

Lots of exciting early jiu-jitsu history to look forward to.

In addition, while the independent film is not expected to be distributed in theaters across the country, Bota believes there may be in-theater screenings in select venues in the United States. Stay tuned!

NEW YORK (April 27, 2009) – In a clash of explosive light heavyweights (205 pounds), Antwain “The Juggernaut” Britt (11-3) will collide with Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (8-2) at STRIKEFORCE St. Louis: Heavy Artillery at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. on Saturday, May 15.

Vitor “Shaolin’’ Ribeiro (20-3) of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil will make his anxiously awaited STRIKEFORCE debut against undefeated Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (13-0) of Spokane, Wash., in a lightweight (155-pound) matchup on the event’s preliminary card.

The winner between Britt and Feijao will move a step closer to challenging recently crowned STRIKEFORCE 205-pound champion “King Mo’’ Lawal.

It will be the most important fight of his career for the fast-rising Britt, of Virginia Beach, Va., who’s won four of his last five, including a dominant performance in his STRIKEFORCE debut last Dec. 19 when he repeatedly dropped Scott Lightly until the one-sided proceedings were halted by the doctor after the first round.

On May 9, 2009 – Britt’s 31st birthday – he overwhelmed UFC veteran Antonio Mendes with a flurry of blows, winning the fight in just eight seconds, which is hardly enough time to touch gloves.

“I just kept pumping, you can’t attack if you’re backing up,” said the 6-foot-1 Hybrid Academy of Martial Arts-trained fighter who has registered victories in less than two minutes on seven different occasions. “Right cross, right elbow. Boom, dropped him. That was it.”

Britt was a contestant on season eight of The Ultimate Fighter, but a broken hand suffered during a victory in his elimination bout forced his withdrawal from the competition.

Feijao, a devastating striking with a fierce killer instinct, has produced all eight of his wins inside the distance. He trains out of the famed Black House camp with Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

In 2007-‘08, the six-foot-one-inch, 29-year-old Feijao of Sao Paulo, Brazil was viewed as one of the most promising prospects in MMA. He was slated to challenge then-STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight titleholder Renato “Babalu” Sobral last June 6, but Sobral withdrew because of the impending birth of a child.

Due to the circumstances, Feijao was matched against Mike “Mak” Kyle, who manufactured a colossal upset when he defeated Feijao via second-round TKO.

Until the Kyle stunner, Feijao, which means “bean” or “beans” in Portuguese, had steamrolled his opposition. His only other loss came on a disqualification on June 16, 2007.

Feijao rebounded from the shocking setback and regained his winning ways with an impressive second-round TKO (punches) over Aaron Rosa on the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event last Nov. 20. After an unhurried opening round, Feijao turned up the heat in the second, battering Rosa with a series of strikes until the fight was halted at 3:25.

Ribeiro, a 30-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, is among the top lightweights in MMA. He’s won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship four times, once as a purple belt in 1996 and three times as a black belt in three consecutive years (1999-2001).

Among his 20 victories include 14 stoppages (12 by submission) while topping notables such as Joachim Hansen, Eiji Mitsuoka, and Mitsuhiro “The Endless Fighter” Ishida.

Ribeiro’s losses have come against some of the division’s most talented fighters — Tatsuya Kawajiri, Gesias “GZ” Cavalcante and, in his last start on a decision to then-No. 2 in the world, Shinya Aoki, in the DREAM Grand Prix finals last July 20.

Afterward, Ribeiro underwent successful eye surgery, but he is back to 100 percent and has pronounced himself fit and ready. “I’ve been training and I’m motivated to get back to fighting regularly again,’’ said Ribeiro, who credits his mentor, André Pederneiras, for his success.

Beerbohm is not your prototypical mixed martial artist. A top up-and-coming fighter who is also a feel-good story, he literally started MMA on his way home from prison after he spent a year and one day at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla as a result of felony convictions, all related to his crystal meth addiction.

The same day the 5-foot-10, 31-year-old native of Spokane, Wash., got out of prison, he was at a Jiu-Jitsu gym. He had his first amateur fight eight days after being released.

Despite the many obstacles, Beerbohm went 12-0 in the amateurs and has been flawless since turning pro on April 6, 2007. In his last outing, he registered an 89-second, first-round TKO (elbows) over Josh Martin on Sept. 12, 2009. In a career-best performance, he submitted (bulldog choke) veteran star Duane “Bang” Ludwig in the first round at a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on June 19, 2009.

Since entering MMA, Beerbohm has found a discipline and determination that was missing in his life. “If I didn’t go to prison, I probably would be dead today,” Beerbohm said. “Because I wouldn’t get cleaned up. I wouldn’t go to rehab. I wouldn’t get off the drugs. I didn’t want to get off the drugs. I traded one addiction for the other. I traded meth for MMA.

“After watching MMA on TV, I knew deep down inside that’s what I was going to do.’’

A top wrestler in high school, Beerbohm is a brawler who can switch between southpaw and orthodox stances. Of his 12 amateur fights and 13 pro bouts, only one has gone the distance. He has recorded more KO’s than submissions, but he still considers himself a grappler.Beerbohm, whose nickname is derived from the custom-made trunks sewn by his mother, wants to defeat Ribeiro and then challenge for the STRIKEFORCE lightweight title. “That’s my goal,’’ he said. “I want to be the champ. I want a five-round fight. That would be something else.’’

Tickets are on sale for STRIKEFORCE St. Louis: Heavy Artillery at the Scottrade Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).In the May 15 main event, STRIKEFORCE World Heavyweight Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem (32-11) will defend against heavy-handed knockout artist Brett “The Grim” Rogers (10-1). Former world champions Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (15-7) and Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (13-2) will collide in another heavyweight confrontation.

In other previously announced fights, unbeaten Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu sensation Roger Gracie (2-0) will make his STRIKEFORCE and United States MMA debut against two-time NCAA National Wrestling Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Kevin “The Monster” Randleman (17-14) and middleweight (185 pound) superstar “Jacare” Souza (11-2) will collide with determined, hard-hitting Joey Villasenor (27-6).
Doors at Scottrade Center will open for STRIKEFORCE St. Louis: Heavy Artillery at 6:15 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 15. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m.

The event will be televised live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Shamrock Promotions is assisting STRIKEFORCE with local marketing for the event.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship confirmed all of the bouts for “UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans” event.

UFC 114 is set for Saturday May 29th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be headlined by former light-heavyweights Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “Suga” Rashad Evans.

A UFC superstar and former light heavyweight champion, Forrest Griffin (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / professional record 17-6) knows what it takes to be successful in the Octagon™. Coming off of a split-decision victory over Tito Ortiz in a highly anticipated rematch, Griffin looks to build off of this victory in his quest to regain the light heavyweight title. Standing in his way will be a difficult challenge. Half of one of the most respected brother duos in mixed martial arts, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / 18-3) has plans of his own in the light heavyweight division. Holder of a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Nogueira also has impressive boxing skills which he used in his UFC debut to dismantle Luiz Cane via first round TKO. Fireworks are sure to be produced when these two veterans of the sport collide.

Coming off a three-round war with MMA legend Wanderlei Silva, Michael Bisping (fighting out of Manchester, England / 19-3) is back with victory on his mind. The U.K. superstar with devastating stand-up ability looks to impose his will on another veteran of the UFC in Dan Miller (fighting out of Whippany, N.J. / 11-3, 1 NC), an accomplished wrestler who was recently awarded his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from Renzo Gracie black belt Jamie Cruz. Miller and Bisping are both hungry for a victory in what is sure to be an exciting matchup.

Main Card

- Rashad Evans vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
- Forrest Griffin vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
- Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller
- Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow
- John Hathaway vs. Diego Sanchez

Preliminary Card (Spike TV)

- Dong Hyun Kim vs. Amir Sadollah
- Efrain Escudero vs. Dan Lauzon

Preliminary Card (Not televised)

- Melvin Guillard vs. Thiago Tavares
- Luiz Cane vs. Cyrille Diabate
- Joe Brammer vs. Aaron Riley
- Jesse Forbes vs. Ryan Jensen

UFC.com

Press Release

Fresh off signing a two-fight deal with the Maximum Fighting Championship, Jesse “JT Money” Taylor has garnered a spot in the main event for MFC 25: Vindication.

Taylor (14-5) will meet Thales Leites (16-3) in the headliner bout of the MFC’s upcoming show on Friday, May 7 at the Northlands Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, and seen live throughout North America on HDNet Fights.

“This is a main-event matchup that could easily become a Fight of the Year candidate,” said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “I love Jesse Taylor’s aggressive nature and he is coming here with bad intentions on his mind. And Thales Leites has a new-found desire to showcase his raw power and talent.

“Neither one of these guys is going to sit back and let the fight come to him – they are going to step up and bring it. There is a title shot at stake here and both of these guys are coveting the MFC championship belt.”

Leites used solid takedown defense and took advantage of what opportunities were in front of him on his way to a unanimous decision victory over Dean Lister at MFC 23 back in December. That win ended a two-fight losing skid for the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, native who holds career victories over such notables as Nate Marquardt, Drew McFedries, Pete Sell, and Jose Landis-Jons.

Taylor, who fights out of Murietta, California, has an impressive list of wins to his credit as well holding verdicts over Jason Day, Chris Camozzi, and Jesse Forbes. “JT Money” is a former reality show cast member and holds a decorated career in amateur wrestling including a Division I NCAA tournament appearance and honored twice as a junior college All-American.

The Leites-Taylor encounter tops a star-studded lineup for MFC 25: Vindication which includes:

Ryan Jimmo vs. Wilson Gouveia, light heavyweight

Dwayne Lewis vs. Emanuel Newton, light heavyweight

David Heath vs. Solomon Hutcherson, middleweight

Luigi Fioravanti vs. Pete Spratt, welterweight

Tickets for MFC 25: Vindication are on sale now via the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024 or through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca and charge-by-phone (780) 451-8000.