SAN DIEGO (July 8, 2010) – Two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim “Maine-iac” Sylvia takes on former UFC and Strikeforce heavyweight title challenger, Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello, in the main event for the vacant Powerhouse World Promotions (PWP), LLC Heavyweight Championship, August 14 on Pay Per View live from Bren Events Center in Irvine, California.

“War on the Mainland,” presented by Powerhouse World Promotions, is being distributed by Integrated Sports Media at 10:00PM ET/6:00PM PT in North America on cable and satellite Pay-Per-View via iN Demand, DIRECTV, Avail-TVN and DISH Network, as well as Viewer’s Choice, Bell TV and Shaw PPV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95. It will also be available in the United Kingdom via Primetime Live. The PPV card will also be streamed live on Internet PPV outside of the United States, Canada and United Kingdom by going to www.WarontheMainland.com and registering.

“This event started as a training clinic that we’re still holding August 8 in San Diego,” PWP CEO Brian Manna explained. “It’s a full day, training clinic – MMA, Jiu-Jitsu, striking, boxing kicking, etc. – at Manna’s Martial Arts in San Diego. Tony Martinez (President of Powerhouse) suggested we do a show. We discussed it with members of our team – Joe Moreira, Carlos Palomino, Rodolfo Gonzalez and Burdett Streeter – as well as Doug Jacobs (Integrated Sports Media) and (associate) Benny Ricardo. Pay per view made it an easier sell and we were able to raise capital for the show. Now, people from all over the world will be able to watch our show.

“The depth of our field is unmatched. We not only wanted to make sure that we had three really good fights like we do, but to insure that all of the fights on this show would feature high quality fighters, as well as competitive, entertaining matches. These fights are all very well matched from top to bottom. All of us (Team PWP) are old-school martial artists. We stepped into the ring against anybody that was put in there; the type of show we’re putting on August 14th and few like it exist today in MMA for the public.”

Sylvia (26-6-0), fighting out of Bettendorf, Iowa, is coming off of an impressive second-round submission of 5-time World’s Strongest Man, Mariusz “Dominator” Pudzianowski. During his sensational career, Sylvia (6-8, 300 lbs.) has defeated many of the world’s top MMA heavyweights and super heavyweights – Andrei Arlovski (2) Brandon Vera, Jeff Monson, Wes Sims, Ricco Rodriguez, Mike Whitehead (2), Ben Rothwell and Jason Lambert.

Buentello (6-2, 250 lbs.), fighting out of Amarillo, Texas, has notable victories against “Tank” Abbott, Gary Goodridge, Justin Eilers, Mike Kyle and Kirill “Baby Fedor” Sidelnikov.

Sylvia-Buentello is one of three PWP title fights (5 X 5, all other fights are 3 X 5). Former WEC titlist Jason “The Punisher” Lambert (24-11-0) faces 8-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Allan Goes (17-3-0) for the vacant PWP Light Heavyweight title belt, while former UFC title challenger Thales Leite (17-3-1) fights Strikeforce veteran Falinko “Niko” Vitale (27-9-0) for the PWP Middleweight crown.

In a Special Lightweight Attraction, former UFC lightweight champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver (22-13-1), one of the most popular MMA fighters in the world, meets Diego “El Nino” Garijo (4-1-0).

Also fighting on “War on the Mainland” are Brazilian middleweight Gustavo “Ximu” Machado (18-8-1) vs. Rick Reeves (10-3-0), Mexican welterweight Jorge “The Naked Man” Ortiz (16-5-1) vs. veteran Terry Martin (19-8-0), and California lightweights Joao Silva (3-0) vs. Erin Beach (1-0). All fights and fighters are subject to change.

“We’re hitting the ground running,” Manna added. “People all over the world want to fight with us. We’re not interested in signing fighters to long-term contracts. We’re interested in the fighters being self-sufficient and stable. Burdett is a financial advisor and one of our goals is to aid fighters to become more aware of how to make their financial future more stable.”

Tickets, ranging from $35.00 to $110.00 reserved and $110.00 to $295.00 on the floor, are on sale at the Bren Event Center Box Office (10 AM/PT-6 PM/PT, Mon-Fri), going on line to www.bren.uci.edu or www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1.949.824.5000.

Doors open at 5:00 PM/PT, first bout 6:15 PM/PT, first PPV bout 7 PM/PT – 10 PM/ET. Go to www.WarontheMainland.com or www.bren.uci.edu for additional information.

Vendor opportunities and sponsorships are available by calling 1.858.798.1541.

It would appear that Maximum Fighting Championship president Mark Pavelich is behind on some fees owed to the River Cree Resort & Casino located near the city of Edmonton, Canada according to TheGarv.com.

Pavelich has reportedly been suspended by the Association of Boxing Commissions for “non-payment of fees owing to the commission” which will be lifted once he pays up.

The Garv.com was tipped off today that a member of Canada’s athletic commission filed a request to to the head of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) to officially suspend Mark Pavelich, president and promoter of Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) for “non-payment of fees owing to the commission”.

6/17/10: It looks like the fees owed by Pavelich and MFC stem back to an event in February, and more than one attempt was made to arrange payment with no response from MFC. From what I understand, the suspension is officially in place, but will be lifted if Pavelich settles up. He’s expected to do so in the next few days.

The MMA News has interviewed the MFC president in the past, and is known for some of his colorful comments on the UG forums. Hopefully this won’t effect some of his promotions upcoming events such as the HeatXC show next month and the next MFC show in the fall, which he’s looking to hold in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada for anyone living in that area. That event should showcase an MFC middleweight title bout featuring BJJ specialist Thales Leites.

In our latest edition of HDNet Fights Video Vault, we spotlight two UFC veterans who have returned to the regional circuit.

Today's fight-of-the-week feature pits former top UFC middleweight contender Thales Leites against "The Ultimate Fighter 7" finalist Jesse Taylor.

Each week HDNet and MMAjunkie.com release a new and exclusive fight
from the ever-growing HDNet Fights video library. Stunning knockouts,
slick submissions, shocking finishes and legendary brawls are the norm
for this weekly feature.

In our latest edition of HDNet Fights Video Vault, we spotlight two UFC veterans who have returned to the regional circuit.

Today's fight-of-the-week feature pits former top UFC middleweight contender Thales Leites against "The Ultimate Fighter 7" finalist Jesse Taylor.

Each week HDNet and MMAjunkie.com release a new and exclusive fight
from the ever-growing HDNet Fights video library. Stunning knockouts,
slick submissions, shocking finishes and legendary brawls are the norm
for this weekly feature.

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.

Four important words will finally ring true for fans, friends, and families of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans this Saturday night; more importantly they will ring true for the fighters themselves.

The wait is over.

A rivalry introduced to fans more than a year ago during an in-ring confrontation, then nurtured with gigs as opposing coaches on the tenth season of the Ultimate Fighter, as well as a brilliantly produced “Primetime” special over the past few weeks, will come to a head May 29th at UFC 114 in Las Vegas. And, were their personal dislike of one another or shared standing as two of MMA’s top 205-pounders not enough to sell the bout, UFC President Dana White has also gone on record as saying the winner would receive a crack at UFC Light Heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s belt. The involved ingredients make for one of the most-anticipated match-ups in promotional history and a fight that is sure to deliver on all levels.

Also on tap for the event are four former TUF seasonal champs other than Evans looking to climb a few rungs closer to a title shot. Michael Bisping looks to get back on the winning track against the always-tough Dan Miller, Diego Sanchez makes his return to welterweight against undefeated Brit John Hathaway, affable Amir Sadollah faces his toughest opponent to date in the form of Dong Hyun Kim, and Efrain Escudero returns against Dan Lauzon after a gutsy performance in his first career loss this past January. Additionally, Luis Cane, Todd Duffee, and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, plus others, will also be in action.

Before I get into the actual “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. 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

Jesse Forbes vs. Ryan Jensen

Jensen and Forbes are, for the most part, evenly matched in terms of stand-up, wrestling, and submissions. Forbes had won four straight before falling to a split decision in his last fight, and though Jensen’s record over the past few years isn’t spectacular it’s important to note the level of competition he fought (Thales Leites, Demian Maia, and Joey Villasenor for example). I like Jensen’s experience and maturity to carry him to victory, as he’s held his own against tougher opponents than “Kid Hercules” and has the skills to dish and defend more successfully than his opponent.

Winner – Ryan Jensen via Decision

Aaron Riley vs. Joe Brammer

Riley shouldn’t have too hard a time earning a win on Saturday based on how his abilities match up against Brammer’s. Both men are grapplers with comparable jiujitsu, though I think Riley has an edge where wrestling is concerned. The thirteen-year veteran has only been tapped twice in more than forty professional bouts with half of his losses coming by way of TKO. I don’t feel Brammer possesses the striking to damage Riley severely enough to merit a stoppage or the submissions to finish him on the ground. As such, I expect Riley to take Brammer down a number of times and control action from the top en route to a clear cut decision win.

Winner – Aaron Riley via Decision

Melvin Guillard vs. Waylon Lowe

Fans in Vegas who are thinking about strolling into the event just before the Spike cameras fire up would be wise to get there a little early and catch this bout, as I have a feeling these two are going to square off in the center of the Octagon and let leather fly. Guillard’s reputation precedes him and I suspect most people reading these lines know a good deal about what he brings to the cage already. He’s powerful, quick, and generally reckless. Lowe is making his UFC debut and coming off back-to-back knockout wins in the first round. I think he’ll be eager to impress his new bosses with a highlight-worthy finish and riding the confidence of his recent performances. “The Young Assassin” has never been afraid to exchange, hence my prediction of this bout’s rock-em-sock-em potential. With Guillard’s hands and athleticism I think he’ll be the first to land a significant blow and said strike will serve as the first toppled domino in a series resulting in Lowe’s unconsciousness.

Winner – Melvin Guillard via TKO Round 1

Luis Cane vs. Cyrille Diabate

Cane is a good example of how fickle MMA fans and media can be. Last year at this time “Banha” was viewed as a potential title contender with a single DQ defeat and 80% of his wins by TKO. Fast-forward to UFC 114 where his bout against Diabate may never seen the light of television due to a loss against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira last November at UFC 106. In reality, this match-up has the makings of a very entertaining affair. Both men are solid strikers with Diabate being a more accomplished athlete where submission wins are concerned. A big part of me wants to pick Cane to win, but I feel he may struggle with the 6′6 Frenchman’s length and be a little hesitant to engage after “Little Nog” turned his lights out six months ago. I think it will be a close fight that goes the distance but don’t discount Cane’s ability to put the “Snake” to sleep with one or two well-timed strikes.

Winner – Cyrille Diabate via Decision

Efrain Escudero vs. Dan Lauzon

I summed up my thoughts on this particular bout in this week’s “Grappling with Issues” so I’ll pull from that in case you haven’t already read it:

“Escudero has shown flashes of possessing exceptional talent in a string of solid performances. Though he suffered damaged tendons in his arm after refusing to tap against Evan Dunham at Fight Night 20 last January, I don’t suspect he’ll show any ill effects come showtime on Saturday night as the injuries weren’t particularly severe and the limb in question carries different weight both literally and figuratively than would be the case had he shredded his knee/ankle.

He has the grappling ability to win most of the takedown and positioning battles plus the kind of heart willing to take a fight into deeper waters than most. It’s one thing to go out on your shield when it comes to being choked but to accept the possibility of a broken bone or snapped ligament, as he did against Dunham, is an entirely different level of ballsy foolishness. Lauzon appears to have the better striking based on the number of TKOs he’s earned over a career comparable to the Ultimate Fighter Season 8 champion, but I get the sense he’s more of a brawler than technically proficient on his feet, and I can see Efrain committing to movement/jabs to set up his ground game rather than engaging in a slugfest that could favor “The Upgrade”.

Also, though I have no insight into the matter, based on statements from all involved it has to be noted that the Massachusetts native is dealing with some personal issues involving his camp and brother/fellow UFC fighter Joe Lauzon. Regardless of which side is telling the truth there remains a definite divide between the two, and I would be shocked if it didn’t wear on Dan to some degree given the importance of one’s mental state in the cage.”

In case it wasn’t clear already I think Escudero should win this fight without finding himself in too many adverse situations along the way. Lauzon is a tough cat, which is why I can see the end of their bout taking some time to develop, but I think the odds are definitely stacked against him in this one.

Winner – Efrain Escudero via Submission Round 3

Amir Sadollah vs. Dong Hyun Kim

As mentioned in the lead-in, Kim will be the mulleted Mixed Martial Artist’s toughest test to date. He’s undefeated with the only blemish on his record being a draw (unless you count a “No Contest” against Karo Parisyan. The Korean star is a solid grappler who, as you might gather from his nickname of “Stun Gun”, has knockout power. He’s also a few inches taller than Sadollah so he has a minor size advantage as well. However, Amir has improved with every performance and isn’t likely to be pushed around regardless of Kim having 3X his in-ring experience. The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 champ does a nice job of mixing his strikes up and has shown himself to be opportunistic on the ground when limbs present themselves for submission attempts. As I think they’re both fairly balanced in terms of skill and heart, I think Sadollah and Kim will go back and forth for three rounds and possibly even turn in a “Fight of the Night” along the way. I’m picking the Ultimate Fighter alumnus to win simply because the fight is in Vegas and I don’t see all three judges picking against him unless the decision is completely obvious.

Winner – Amir Sadollah via Decision

MAIN CARD

Diego Sanchez vs. John Hathaway

Ashamedly, I must admit I was fairly clueless about Hathaway until he was announced as Sanchez’s opponent for the event. Turns out the Brit is 12-0 with two wins in the Octagon over game adversaries (Rick Story and Paul Taylor). In some ways he reminds me Sanchez just prior to fighting Parisyan in the sense he’s undefeated, has a mixture of submissions and TKOs on his record, and has shown he’s ready for a step up in competition by beating a few tough draws. However, I don’t see Hathaway dislodging any of Diego’s teeth from his jaw or fairing as well in final result as “Nightmare” did against Karo. Sanchez’s loss to BJ Penn was the most decisive defeat of hii career, and I would be shocked if he isn’t even MORE motivated than usual in the gym as a result of it. Returning to 170-pounds gives him the chance to bulk up a bit and focus more on training as opposed to maintaining his ability to cut down to 155. I expect him to come out extremely aggressive and do his best to maul the Englishman, not only unleashing his frustration from the Penn loss but also as a means of taking advantage of the notion Hathaway might be a little distracted by the bout being his biggest to date. Hathaway has shown he can grapple and strike so I don’t know that Sanchez will be able to finish him, but I do think the “YES” enthusiast will be able to control most of the action no matter where it takes place.

Winner – Diego Sanchez via Decision

Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow

I think Duffee has the potential to go a long way in MMA given his style, physique, and outspoken honesty. The fact he’s willing to acknowledge he’s only 6-0 and has been overhyped thus far says a lot about his focus in terms of improvement and not overlooking opponents. Russow is a better wrestler than “Duff Man” and there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll do his best to negate Duffee’s power by trying to take him down and work from the top. However, I think he’ll have a hard time handling the 24-year old’s strength and absorb a fair share of damage as a result of shooting in. Duffee has dealt with respectable grapplers before and should be able to do so again at UFC 114.

Winner – Todd Duffee via TKO Round 1

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Jason Brilz

Though it goes without saying this would have been a far more interesting bout had Nogueira’s original opponent, Forrest Griffin, not injured his shoulder during training, I think the UFC brass deserves credit for coming up with Brilz as a replacement. “The Hitman” is 18-2-1 and seems to be relatively well-rounded based on how each “W” was achieved. “Little Nog” may be his highest profile fight, but Brilz is no stranger to notable competition and has beaten the likes of Tim Boetsch, Jason MacDonland, and Eric Schafer. His split decision loss to Eliot Marshall at UFC 103 was his first defeat in thirteen straight fights dating back to September 2001! Name value aside, Brilz clearly has some skill to back up the opportunity he was given, and though I don’t think he’ll necessarily beat Nogueira I’m glad he’s been given the chance to do so and earn a little mainstream respect along the way.

Nogueira has looked excellent since falling to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in less than thirty seconds three years ago. He’s won six straight with five finishing performances, and, outside of Brilz’s inner-circle, I think most people would agree the Brazilian is superior to his opponent on Saturday night in every facet of the game. I expect him to work his jab and frustrate Brilz with boxing, maybe stuff a few takedowns, and eventually land a combo that puts Brilz on his back for the eventual TKO finish.

Winner – Antonio Nogueira via TKO Round 2

Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller

I’ll again defer to a breakdown I offered in this week’s GWI:

“Miller’s boxing should allow him to safely exchange with the Brit even though he doesn’t possess Bisping’s power or diversity of strikes. However, his grappling is of enough quality to control “The Count” in most positions, and if you look at Bisping’s record he’s traditionally struggled against opponents who excel on the mat.

I also feel there’s an intangible quality involved on Saturday that favors Miller because New Jersey’s proud son is fighting with a special sense of motivation. ESPN journalist Franklin McNeil did a far better job documenting the particulars than I will in this paragraph, but essentially Miller’s young son has dealt with health problems since conception that have recently, fortunately, taken a turn for the better as of late. He competed against Sonnen shortly after losing a daughter during birth and against Maia weeks after his boy’s (not to mention he fought with a dislocated thumb). I will never underestimate the power of the human will or mankind’s ability to achieve the incredible when such personal stakes are involved.

In my mind, the sum of the circumstances, as well as how the two match-up, favors Miller to pull of the upset in comparison to the other respective bouts on the card. I don’t know that he’ll submit Bisping but I can definitely see a decision win going his way.”

If Miller can successfully defend while mixing in a few punches while standing and drag Bisping to the canvas for a good portion of each round I think he’s got a decent chance of pulling off an upset.

Winner – Dan Miller via Decision

Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans

I think the strategy both men will employ is fairly obvious. You can throw submissions out the window in this one because the odds of either man tapping the other out is highly unlikely. Jackson has been choked out once in his career (which happened nine years ago) and Evans’ only loss as a professional came via TKO to Lyoto Machida. Rather, the result of this match-up will be determined by wrestling, striking technique, and power.

“Rampage” has a far better chance of rendering Evans into a puddle of goo with a single punch than instead finding himself staring up at the rafters in a role reversal. As I said in GWI, “He has the power to flatten any opponent when standing or ground-and-pounding, as well as the ability to absorb a good amount of damage, and I honestly don’t think the same can be said about Evans. Jackson’s jaw appears to be made out of the same material as the chain he wears en route to the ring and has only been unlocked three out of thirty-seven times. Those knockouts were each the result of a series of vicious knees/stomps and came 5-7 years ago.” Rashad is not Wanderlei Silva nor Mauricio Rua by any stretch of the imagination and to pull off a feat similar to theirs would be beyond impressive.

Evans, on the other hand, is faster and more elusive than Jackson due to his relatively small size for a LHW and Golden Gloves-level footwork. Whereas “Rampage” has more potential to win with a knockout, “Sugar” ‘Shad is a greater threat to stick and move while working in leg-kicks and takedown attempts. Jackson can’t flatten Evans without first connecting on a punch and I suspect the former Michigan State Spartan’s jaw is going to be a difficult target to score a bulls-eye on. Evans didn’t respect Machida’s power and paid the price for it. He isn’t likely to make the same mistake with the Memphis brawler.

As far as the actual fight unfolding, I can see Evans out-pointing his rival by focusing on technique and refusing to give into the emotional part of him that no doubt wants to stand with “Rampage”. His corner needs to constantly remind him that winning, even by decision, will feel almost as good as a knockout would and FAR superior to a loss. I can also see Jackson landing a combo that puts Rashad on his back, then pounding the Ultimate Fighter Season 2 champion out. I’m currently about 57/43 in favor of the second scenario occurring because Evans is an extremely confident competitor who could throw out strategy and just fight, but honestly feel the main event’s outcome is a relative coin-flip.

Winner – Quinton Jackson via TKO Round 2

Would you prefer Alistair Overeem fought Fedor Emelianenko or signed with the UFC before the end of 2010? What would you tell Andrei Arlovski after watching him lose for the third straight time? Is Matt Lindland on his last leg where current relevance in MMA is concerned? Are you more excited about the heavyweight headliners at Moosin MMA or the battle between bad-ass Betties a few fights down on the card?

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

If you’re reading these lines you’ve made it through another work-week and are back in the friendly digital confines of “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s resident Friday feature highlighting insight and opinion from Adam Tool and myself on six subjects plucked from the Mixed Martial Arts landscape. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column…

More appealing match-up at this weekend’s Moosin MMA event – Tim Sylvia vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski or Tara LaRosa vs. Roxanne Modafferi?

Adam Tool: In essence this question is asking which fight I’ll be looking for first when I hit the internet Saturday morning to catch up on some fights, and the answer is LaRosa vs. Modafferi. I could care less about anything Tim Sylvia does anymore; he lost a big chunk of whatever respect I had for him following is 36 second clowning at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko. He could have salvaged his career by coming back with a hard-fought win over a respectable opponent, but instead he got knocked out in less than 10 seconds by a 48 year old boxer making his professional MMA debut. The headlining bout at Moosin seems like it’s designed to give Pudzianowski (who comes up second to Krzysztof Soszynski in the “Fighters Whose Name I Hate Typing” category) a legitimate name to add to his meager record. A win over the former body builder does little to help Sylvia’s reputation, and a loss just sends him further down the heavyweight rankings.

LaRosa and Modafferi are two legitimate fighters in the world of women’s MMA, with LaRosa being one of the top P4P female fighters in the world. We’ve got the always intriguing striker vs. grappler dynamic for this bout, and Modafferi will no doubt be hungry to avenge her loss to LaRosa in their previous meeting. Strikeforce is supposed to be the home for women’s MMA but so far this year they’ve dropped the ball as far as promoting new talent. With a win here Modafferi could easily be pegged as an upcoming contender for Sarah Kaufman’s championship, but it’s tough to see where LaRosa goes from here unless she’s willing to move back up to 135 lbs. In any case this should be an entertaining scrap between two aggressive young ladies, and I’m looking forward to watching it in grainy flash video on Saturday morning.

Brendhan Conlan: Tool essentially squished my opinion into a little ball and smacked it over the fence for a homerun. Though the result of Sylvia’s almost-guaranteed slop-fest with Pudzianowski is fascinating in a sick way I’m far more interested in seeing how the action unfolds in LaRosa vs. Modafferi.

I don’t fault “The Maine-iac” for taking what he felt would be an easy win against an opponent with some name value (Ray Mercer) on the heels of losing 3-of-4 against top shelf competition. It was a calculated risk and a gamble he ultimately paid for by sacrificing his already-wavering reputation in the sport with both the loss and by showing up as though he’d trained at Pillsbury Top Team for the bout. However, embarrassing knockout aside, it has to be noted Sylvia had only finished a single opponent in the four years prior. Looking at his record seems to indicate Tim-meh benefited more from a distinct size advantage coupled with a shallow heavyweight pool, rather than a particular set of skills, to earn his reputation as a two-time UFC champion. His physical dimensions and past praise will always make Sylvia an attraction, but then again the same can also be said about the “World’s Biggest Ball of Yarn”. Fighting a 2-0 former strong-man who once tested positive for performance enhancing drugs has “freak show” appeal but doesn’t compare from a competitive standpoint to the other pairing mentioned in this topic’s subject line.

Modafferi is 7-1 since 2007 with the lone loss coming in a match she took on short notice against Marloes Coenen, a naturally bigger and equally respectable Mixed Martial Artist. LaRosa is currently riding a fifteen-fight win streak and is 18-1 over her eight-year career. They fought to a decision in 2006, so there’s a familiarity there that should breed engagement because both already have a fair idea of what to expect when they lock horns or stand and bang. Their combined skill, heart displayed in previous fights, and styles should make for an entertaining scrap and definitely one I find to be more appealing than that featuring 4X the weight.

What advice would you give Andrei Arlovski on the heels of losing his third consecutive fight?

Tool: Honestly, I have no idea. He’s spent the last two years dedicating a bulk of his training to boxing, yet he was clearly being handled on the feet by Antonio Silva. I don’t know if that owes more to Arlovski’s decline or Silva’s improvement, but there’s little left of the mystique “The Pitbull” once had. He’s still got plenty of name value amongst casual fans so he’ll keep getting fights as long as he wants to but there’s no reason to believe that he’ll have a spot amongst the heavyweight elite any longer.

If I had to mark one area for improvement it might just be cardio. Late in the fight it looked as though Silva had all but punched himself out (at least, that’s the only reason I can think of as to why he insisted on continually clinching against the cage) and Arlovski could have turned things around if he would have had to the gas to really pour it on. He’s got to be feeling better about his chin after taking some of Silva’s best shots, and I still believe that his striking looked awesome against Fedor (right up until the flying knee of course), so I don’t think I’m ready to write Andrei off completely. The long layoff between his last two fights might have played a factor, so I think he should try and get back in the cage as soon as possible if he’s to have any hope of breaking this losing streak.

Conlan: If I was in Arlovski’s ear I would concentrate on the positives stemming from his loss to “Bigfoot” Silva, encourage him to continue training outside of his comfort zone, and get him in touch with Georges St. Pierre (or comparable high-level athlete) to discuss the benefit potentially derived from speaking to a sports psychologist.

As Tool mentioned, “The Pitbull” absorbed a few clean shots from Silva and never went limp in the process. Obviously Arlovski is interested in actual victories, not moral ones, but his retention of consciousness is an important fact to note when owing 3/4 of his career losses to having it taken from him while Silva has an equal ratio of career wins by TKO. The bout as a whole was relatively close and essentially up for grabs. A few tweaks in strategy and perhaps a bit more mental focus between bells would have likely resulted in a Belarusian victor rather than a Brazilian one.

Moving on, my understanding is that Arlovski spent some time training at American Kickboxing Academy and Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting rather than working with his regular group of pre-fight handlers. I think it was a wise decision on his part regardless of result, as I truly believe improvement goes hand-in-hand with the type of preparation Mixed Martial Artists receive in camps as deep and experienced as those mentioned (as well as 5-10 others). There’s no doubt in my mind Andrei would get an infinite amount more out of sparring and grappling with actual peers rather than peons, and the type of knowledge found in places featuring guys like Jackson or Dave Camarillo is an asset any fighter is lucky to have in their corner.

Finally, though I have no idea if he’s already sought counsel on the matter, I think it would behoove Arlovski to spend some time speaking with a sports psychologist. There is no underestimating the influence an athlete’s mental state has on his/her performance during “go” time. I would be shocked if the manners in which Emelianenko and Brett Rogers beat him don’t still play his mind at some level, and I suspect his hesitance to fully engage against a lessened Silva in the final round may have actually been evidence of doubt-laced caution rather than questionable conditioning. I don’t think it’s far-fetched to think his self-esteem may have taken another dip with a third consecutive loss nor is it crazy to think Arlovski may enter his next match-up with additional stress/anxiety due to the possibility of going 0-4. Talking to a professional equipped to handle people in similar situations could genuinely help the former UFC Heavyweight Champion regain his mojo and get back to baring his fangs in the cage.

Of the four Brazilian’s to emerge victorious at “Strikeforce – Heavy Artillery”, who were you most impressed by – Rafael Cavalcante, Roger Gracie, “Jacare” Souza, or Antonio Silva?

Tool: Each fighter’s win was impressive for one reason or another, but the fighter whose performance stood out the most to me would have to be “Jacare.” I’ve been watching Souza’s career with interest for a few years now and I’m pleased to see him starting to make waves here in the U.S. While the announcers on Saturday night might have wanted you to think that “Jacare” and Joey Villasenor were having a great back-and-forth battle, the reality is that Souza dominated the fight from bell to bell. His cardio may not have been where he wanted it to be in the third round, but that’s only the second time in his career he’s gone the distance (and he won both times). As Jason High pointed out on Twitter, Souza isn’t like most jiu-jitsu fighters when it comes to taking the fight to the ground. Whereas Demian Maia or Thales Leites might pull guard, Souza has a mean shot that worked almost every time on Saturday. Once he’s on the ground there are few fighters in the world that can match his grappling ability, and I’ll give credit to the toughness of Villasenor for surviving and getting out of some bad situations. I’m sure he would have preferred to get the finish but in the end “Jacare” gave a dominant performance that puts him right at the top of the list of contenders for the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. Now we just have to wait and see who he’s going to fight for that title (note to Scott Coker: please not “Mayhem” Miller).

Conlan: Credit to all of the names involved, and I can’t argue against Tool’s choice of “Jacare” (though I wouldn’t mind seeing he and Miller give it a third go-round with the Strikeforce title involved), but I was actually most-impressed by Rafael Cavalcante’s performance against Antwain Britt. “The Juggernaut” may not quite be at Villasenor’s level in terms of experience of success in the cage, but he also wasn’t coming off nearly a year’s layoff between bouts and has twice as many fights in the last two-and-half years as “Smokin” Joe does. Britt has heavy hands and put them on “Feijao” a few times to no avail only to end up slumped against the cage, then finished, due to some well-placed strikes from the blackbelt in BJJ. Cavalcante is now 9-for-9 in terms of finishing opponents he’s beaten in the first ten minutes of action and has yet to rely on his submission arsenal to pull out victories. The performance was too impressive as far as I’m concerned to opt for someone who fought to a decision.

Which would you rather see: Alistair Overeem fights Fedor Emelianenko before the year is up, or Overeem goes to the UFC and mixes it up with the new class of top heavyweights?

Conlan: Tough question! I’ll go with Overeem vs. Emelianenko by the width of a thread plucked from the Russian’s favorite sweater. I’m confident “The Demolition Man” will eventually end up in the UFC regardless of when the move actually takes place, while I think the number of Fedor’s future fights – especially against top competition – is a bit more debatable and its limited nature should be capitalized on. Also, assuming Emelianenko emerges victoriously from his San Jose showdown with Fabricio Werdum on June 26th, an added bonus to a bout with the imposing Dutch striker is it serving as a proper Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship match rather than inviting criticism of the title due to the involvement of lesser competition or enormous gaps in the strap being defended.

I’d love to see Overeem slugging it out in the UFC against Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin, or Brock Lesnar as much as anyone else, but all involved parties are young enough to see those outcomes to fruition within the next couple of years. On the other hand, “The Last Emperor” has recently dealt with a slew of nagging injuries and has little left to prove in his career outside of the Octagon (a possibility seeming less-and-less likely with each passing day). Putting the two together before year’s end would give Emelianenko a chance to further solidify his legacy against a respected, and much larger, heavyweight while also allowing Alistair an opportunity to become the first fighter to legitimately beat Fedor and reap the benefits attached to such a feat.

Tool: At the moment I would also probably have to lean towards Emelianenko vs. Overeem myself, if for no other reason than because Overeem represents the lone interesting opponent for Fedor at the moment. If Fedor can’t fight Alistair then what is there left for him to do? Fight worthless cans in Japan on New Year’s Eve? Take on guys out of their weight class like Dan Henderson and “King Mo” Lawal? I know Fedor doesn’t really care about taking on the best fighters in the world, but it’s something his fans would like to see if they’re going to have any ammunition in the ongoing pound-for-pound debate.

Overeem will have to make his way to the UFC sooner or later if he wants to considered the best in the world, but he does have the luxury of time. The UFC’s heavyweight division has four guys at the top right now, and none of them have faced each other yet. There’s still some work to be done in establishing the pecking order amongst Lesnar, Carwin, Velasquez, and Dos Santos, and by the time things start to sort themselves out the timing should be right for Overeem to come in and establish his place. If he enters the UFC as the man who shattered Fedor’s mystique, then the interest level shoots right up for any potential dream bout he takes in the octagon.

Should the winner of tonight’s Tyron Woodley/Nathan Coy fight become the top contender to Nick Diaz’s Strikeforce Welterweight Championship?

Conlan: I can see Woodley receiving a title shot with a win, especially with Jay Hieron’s Strikeforce future currently in limbo, but in no way should Coy get a crack at Diaz’s belt regardless of how convincing his method of victory might be. The three-fight streak he’s riding was preceded by back-to-back losses and involves competition with a combined record equating to a single win over even. Tonight only marks his second appearance in Strikeforce with the initial bout coming more than two years ago. Beating a rising star like “T-Wood” would be impressive but isn’t enough to thrust him into championship contention.

However, if Woodley walks away winner he’ll move to 7-0 as a professional and 4-0 in Strikeforce. He’s finished five of his six opponents in the first round and the sixth only made it through about ¾ of the second stanza. Another early submission or TKO would further establish the 28-year old as one of the company’s legitimate rising stars, and with a roster of welterweights thinner than Cory Hill trying to cut to 135-pounds it would make sense to give the Mizzou alumnus a shot. Additionally, if Strikeforce wants to capitalize on the recent heat between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and champ Nick Diaz, they can always make a future catch-weight bout for the two rivals while pairing Woodley against either Marius Zaromskis or Evangelista Santos (depending on who walks away winner at June 16th’s Strikeforce event in Los Angeles) to keep him active and erase any leftover doubts about how deserved his contendership is.

Tool: Brendhan’s right on the money here, as Strikeforce has a very real prospect in Tyron Woodley. His run on Strikeforce Challengers has been impressive, but with a win tonight the time will be right for him to take on a bigger role within the company. The welterweight division in Strikeforce is so devoid of talent that Woodley makes as much sense as anyone else. He also represents a great stylistic match-up for Diaz, as his wrestling pedigree could likely allow him to dictate where the bout takes place, and his heavy hands would be a good test for Diaz’s legendary chin and peppering punches. Other than the aforementioned Hieron, I can’t think of anyone else that Strikeforce could get to represent a credible threat to Diaz’s title.

TRUE/FALSE – His headlining spot on tonight’s Strikeforce Challengers card represents Matt Lindland’s last chance at relevancy in the current MMA scene.

Conlan: False, though certainly a loss to any associate of reality television whore Spencer Pratt would destroy the bulk of his remaining credibility as a contender. Lindland may be 3-4 over his last seven bouts but keep in mind the people he’s lost to over that period – Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (a split decision by the way), Vitor Belfort, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, and Fedor Emelianenko. It’s not as if low-level fighters are mopping the mat with the Team Quest founding-father. Yes, he’s 40 and on the downside of his career, but he’s not on the border of crossing over into “Ken Shamrock” territory. It would take a string of consecutive losses to fighters of Casey’s caliber before I’d comfortably state Lindland had lost all relevance in the sport.

Tool: I’ll go with true, as I can’t see Lindland doing anything of note in the near future should he fall to Kevin Casey. Personally I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror anymore if I lost to a guy that uses Spencer Pratt for credibility, but that’s me. Brendhan has a good point about the quality of opposition Lindland has lost to, but it’s also fair to point out that his last win was two years ago against the less-than-impressive Fabio Nascimento. “The Law” has gone 1-3 since then, and the only real interest he’s garnered from the MMA media is centered around his attempt at a political career and the upcoming documentary about his life. He doesn’t have the fan support of somebody like Jens Pulver, so will anybody still want to see Lindland fight if he can’t get a win or two along the way?

After this past Fridays “MFC 25: Vindication” event, The MMA News had a chance to speak to the Maximum Fighting Championship president Mark Pavelich about the show.

Fridays show at the Northlands Expo Centre in Edmonton, the promotions new larger venue, featured a main event bout between Thales Leites vs. Jesse Taylor. Leites earned an early submission victory in the first round and will most likely fight for the vacant middleweight title in his next MFC appearance.

The Canadian city of Edmonton is a busy town, relying heavily on the oil industry. That kind of business can draw many types of entertainment from professional hockey, Canadian football, and other events, including competition from a boxing event on the same night as MFC 25.

“I think the event overall was successful,” Pavelich noted. “We still had more people at the venue than any other show in the city probably, including my shows from the past, so I was happy about that.

“The level of the show, you can see it’s just escalating and escalating. At the same time I can still see holes on our end that other people probably wouldn’t see. That’s something I’m going to fix come Monday morning, I’m gonna fix some holes and some other things, that’s part of this business.”

There were many exciting fights on the MFC 25 card including former UFC middleweight title challenger Thales Leites, but the MFC president was most impressed by Texan Pete Spratt’s performance against Luigi Fioravanti. Spratt earned a TKO victory in the final minute of the third round.

“I was really excited about Pete Spratt, I thought he was unbelievable. Like unbelievable, just the level of where he is at right now. I was really impressed with Ryan Jimmo tonight, I thought he was just something else. To do what he did to Wilson Gouveia, no one has done that to him ever.

When it came to the Brazilian, Pavelich threw praise his way, ranking Leites top ten among the worlds middleweights.

“You look at Thales Leites, he made it look so easy against Jesse Taylor, he just manhandled him like he was nothing. It was so easy. This once again just solidifies Thales Leites as one of the top ten 185 pounder in the world.

“Lots of other people, like that big show in Las Vegas that DW runs. He he wants you to believe he has certain talent, this and that, at the same time I have Antonio McKee at 155 pounds. He’d mop the floor with about 90% of the 155 pound division in that organization. You look at certain fighters that I have now and they can compete with anybody in any place at any time, they really can.”

Pavelich recognizes that the popularity of mixed-martial-arts is growing with many other promotions putting on good shows, but he feels that the MFC is right near the top and is prepared to keep it there.

“That’s one thing that people have to realize. There are more brands of MMA out there and were one of the top brands of MMA in North America and we still have so far to go. We’ve come a long way and we have just as far to go. I’m prepared for that, and on Monday morning I’m going to start working out and jogging to get in better shape. I need to be in better shape physically and mentally to bring my level up higher. There’s so much more left to do and it’s right after the show.”

The World Extreme Cagefighting promotion is planning on having their first Canadian event with WEC 49 on June 20th and the city of Edmonton will play host to that event. This places the event directly at the MFC’s front door but is also a recognition of how popular MMA is in the Alberta capital.

“They (WEC) won’t outdraw what we drew tonight, I’ll bet on it. DW is going to have to come here himself, he’ll have to (parade) down Jasper avenue. I’m going to have to tell him what to do. The card is no where near the level of my card was tonight, not even close. My level of fighters were like three levels of what he’s bringing to this town. I think that people in my city realize that, they’re smart, smart fans.

“I have the highest ticket prices in town. Higher than the Oilers, higher than the Eskimos, higher than everybody and they (the fans) support it because they realize the level of fighters they’re getting to see in the Maximum Fighting Championship.

“They (WEC) have a sense of arrogance, if that organization wasn’t owned by the bigger organization in Las Vegas we’d crush them, crush them. They have three or four fighters with some names and I believe my version of MMA is far superior than there’s. If they weren’t owned by their older brother they wouldn’t be (on the same level).

“It’s just fact.”

Pavelich has shown a strong work ethic and it’s one that runs in his family as everyone has become involved with the MFC promotion.

“That’s why DW had to step in when they went on PPV because the other people running the show just don’t have that…that moxy. Everyone knows that I have moxy, no one can outwork me in mma (promoting). I shouldn’t say just me, but my entire family. My wife, my son, and my daughter, who is now involved in the business.”

From the outside to many, the MFC may look like a success but it’s president knows that there is still a lot of work to be done to make it to that point.

“We have such a long way to go and we’ve been in business for ten years. People think that we’ve arrived but we haven’t.

“This is the first show we haven’t sold out in three years. The venue is double the size than the last one and we sold an extra 1400 tickets compared to the last venue (The River Cree Resort and Casino) and that’s fantastic.

“We have a long way to go and I know that, I’m ready to do it.”

On Friday night Brazilian middleweight Thales Leites proved himself again by defeating another opponent at the MFC 25: Vindication event in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

With a move to the Canadian based promotion, Maximum Fighting Championship, Leites has come out to prove his ability as a striker, the only problem is that none of his few opponents have wanted to stay standing.

In his first fight at MFC 23, Leites tried to keep the fight standing against Dean Lister but only found an opponent looking to take the fight to the ground. In the end a disappointed Leites walked away with a unanimous decision victory.

On Friday night Leites faced the former “TUF 7″ alumnus Jesse Taylor in the main event of MFC 25. Expecting to test his striking against a game opponent, Leites was disappointed once again finding an easy fight.

Taylor was the aggressor from the start of the round and used his wrestling ability to take Leites to the mat quickly. Looking to end the fight early, using his ground-and-pound, Taylor only met a chain of submission attempts by Leites who forced him to tap at 2:27 of the first.

“This wasn’t an easy fight, I trained a lot. Jesse is a very good fighter and an excellent wrestler and I needed to do my homework for this fight,” said Leites “My fight plan was to finish this fight inside the distance. I didn’t expect a submission in the first round. Maybe late in the fight, but not the first round.”


“To be honest, you know I thought that he would try to prove his standup, like I was trying. I didn’t know that he would try a fast shot to my leg. But I was ready for everything. I accepted the ground game and used my Jiu-Jitsu.

With the victory, Leites will more than likely fight for the vacant MFC middleweight title against an as of yet to be determined opponent, and the Brazilian is willing to take a wait and see approach till that fight is announced.

It means a big step for me, I have two fights in the MFC and two victories. Two victories against two fighters. A victory against Dean Lister and a victory against Jesse Taylor. The next step would be the title shot. Let’s see what happens and lets see what Mark (Pavelich) might say.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is a complete rundown of results:

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