Ace Japanese Reporter Gryphon just dug up some new news on the Sengoku situation and shares via twitter. It's seems that Sengoku isn't folding, but are being made to pay for their TV rights for New Year's Eve.

Although ISHII vs YOSHIDA is greatcard,By SENGOKU nagotiation mistake,No TV come.An only one station is TV TOKYO,but they demand money

TV tokyo demand money,.to broadcast SENGOKU event...Anyway,Not TVstation pay SENGOKU but SENGOKU pay TV station......This is commedy!!

SENGOKU owner YASUDA(billioner in japan)get angry finally!! So SENGOKU NY eve will fail......This is PLAYBOY article,post said so..

It seems that Segoku is ready to put on an event, but can't seem -to get iy it together on the TV.So that's why WVR is co-promoting with FEG.

I do question the reasoning behind it though. Why not just move it up to January 4th? Not only is it another holiday, but the promotion can rake in a hell of a lot of extra profit with buys. I can understand competition and all, but wouldn't moving the event up a couple days be more beneficial in actual planning?

via sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp

Shining Road reports that one of the greatest pro wrestlers and founders of Japanese Mixed Martial Arts, Masakatsu Funaki has signed a one year deal with All Japan Pro Wrestling. Funaki is best known as the co-founder of Pancrase with fellow All Japan member Minoru Suzuki and has legit wins over the Shamrocks, Guy Metzger,  Bas Rutten and Minoru Suzuki. Suzuki and Funaki will face off at the end of the month.

This fight is definitely built up for nostalgic purposes. No doubt about it. All Japan has been kinda struggling this year under the shadow of New Japan and YUKES and they need all the help they can get. Funaki might not be the cavalry, but he's at least a locked and loaded sherman tank ready to do as much damage as possible.

There is also more value in a Suzuki/Funaki matchup in All Japan then it would have had in a FEG event. There is no way in hell this would have any selling power if Tanegawa would have booked it for Dynamite or even a DREAM event for that matter. The matchup would have swept under bigger matchups. Tanegawa would have booked Suzuki to a warm up freak show which wouldn't add anything at all in the match up. At least in All Japan, there would be decent build up for the both of them with hot up and comers and established talent.

With that all being said, I'm giddy as a school girl.

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Grove, Watson and Radcliffe earn UCUK Heavyweight, Welterweight and Lightweight gold last weekend in London.

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From The Sun:

ENZO MACCARINELLI has fuelled rumours he could quit boxing to move into Mixed Martial Arts after admitting holding talks with UFC president Dana White.

The 28-year-old faces Colombian Francisco Alvarez for the WBO cruiserweight title on Saturday but refused to rule out a switch to MMA later on in his career.

The Welshman revealed tentative discussions with UFC supremo White have already taken place regarding a bout inside the Octagon.

Maccarinelli said: "I went down to watch Michael Bisping against Chris Leben in Birmingham for UFC 89 and I had a chat with Dana there.

"A few things were mentioned and if there ever was an offer I wouldn't mind having a go at it.

"I enjoy the sport, the ground game and the fact that it's a one-on-one fight, so what better way to go?

"It's a long way off in my mind at the minute but I've competed in a couple of jiu jitsu tournaments, just to keep my fitness up and because I like the competitiveness.

"When I haven't got a fight and I'm not training properly, I still like to stay fit and I'm actually not that bad on the ground.

"I trained under a guy called Pedro Bessa, who is a great teacher, but I am a boxer first and foremost and I want to achieve my goals in boxing before I even think about anything else.

"But I'd never rule out putting a pair of the little mitts on and going in the cage.

"I do enjoy the UFC and the sport of MMA in general. I'm quite a big follower of it but boxing will always be my No1."

Fellow British boxing stars Ricky Hatton and David Haye both admit to being fans of MMA but Maccarinelli insists the sweet science is still top dog in the fight game.

He added: "The perception of the UFC is that the people fighting are always the best of the best.

"I think they do it in such a way that the fans think they're seeing the best in the world all the time.

"Most of the amazing fighters are already in the UFC but there are still others elsewhere, such as Fedor Emelianenko, who they would love to have.

"It's promoted very well and the way the show in Birmingham was put on, with the music and everything, was great and each fight is competitive.

"But I think it will be a long time before the UFC takes over from boxing, or even runs it close"

It's one thing to say that you've been rolling around on the mat, it'll a completely different thing to take Boxing and BJJ and make them work together into his own personal fighting style. You really need to be in a good school for that. If and when we see Enzo in a cage, it will be an interesting experience.

First of all, I'd like to apologize for sounding like a noob. I come as more of a follower of MMA then of Boxing, but I'm learning the game. If I do make some mistakes, feel free to correct me. Thank you.

While I am hyped for the upcoming match between Oscar and Manny, I can't help but feel that a lot of people will feel guilty spending $55 for something that might end in a couple minutes. In tough times like this, that's a lot of money. While Oscar does offer a rebate plan to recover most of that money, it's almost a joke seeing as you have to spend more money in order to get the rebate coupons. HBO doesn't offer any comfort either as the plan is to show the usual two fight card.

Here are some ideas I'd like to share which will not only help make the card worth while, but will make consumers come back for more cards and make promoters happy.

1. It's The Math Stupid.

If HBO is going to seriously go through with their usual two fight format, they are seriously gyping the consumer bad. Some people might not know it right now, but a lot of people have their internal calculators running overtime right now. If they hand over $55 bucks for two fights, they know their paying $27.50 per fight that could end at any time. This does not feel right. How can this be aleveated? Well, by using Mr. Christ's guide the Ortiz/Resto fight should be put on the PPV along with the two main fights. The reasons are simple. You're giving and up and coming fighter more exposure to those who aren't familar with them and helping grow his fanbase. You're also making the PPV seem like a more better deal by taking the price from $27.50 to $18.33 per fight. Sure, it's still a bit steep, but it at least looks more reasonable.

2. Simplify! Simplify! Simplify!

Y'know, this might be the MMA side of me coming out, but if it's going to take five minutes or more to analyze a fight in the middle of the card, you're either overanalyzing the fight or you're BSing. I know that Lampley, Stewart and Merchant/Kellerman want to create some kind of drama for the fights. I'm cool with that, but that can be done before or after the card. You can build the drama setting up the match before the card starts. In between fights however, you got to keep it simple. Use at least two minutes and then get to the fight. The only time five minutes can be wasted properly is if there is a one on one live with either the fighters of the headline bout or fighters of the upcoming card next month. Doing all this will save more time for fights and will help start fan followings for up and coming fighters so that when they do have their time in the sun, instead of having people say "Who?", you'll have them say "Dude! I know that guy! He looked real good in his last fight!" Now, I know there will be times where everyone does everything right, but there still is a bit more time left and we can't have dead air. What haapens then? Easy!

3. Let The Fighters Talk About Themselves.

It's great that Lampley, Stewart and Merchant/Kellerman know that these guys have the passion and the will to become boxers,but it's kinda hard to make that connection when it's coming from second hand sources. Now don't get me wrong. The 24/7 format is a huge step in the right direction and should continue to make strides. On the other hand, it does leave the undercard stranded. Johnny Off The Block isn't going to see two up and coming technical masters in the ring when he starts tuning in. He's going to look at them like two guys paid to get the crowd warmed up. Not going to give two knuckle cracks about them. Now, if you have them sit down and talk about their match and possibly show some fight footage of either competitor while they talk about their match, even if Johnny doesn't understand their style fighting, he can still connect with the passion or understand why a fighter is fighting. This is a decent stepping stone to help casuals get interested in the match.

If HBO follows these points and they do it enough times, I think they can create a steady growing fan base and get casuals more interested in the sport. Most of all, it'll make this card feel like it's worth the money.

Fronted by Luke Thomas.

Boxer Ricky Hatton was among the many fans at UFC 91 and tell The Daily Star that boxing can learn a thing or two from the promotion:

Hatton was at ringside in Las Vegas to see Randy Couture lose his world heavyweight title to man-mountain Brock Lesnar, who beat him with a second-round stoppage.

And ‘The Hitman’, who faces Paulie Malignaggi at the MGM Grand Arena next Saturday, told me: “The presentation and general approach of the UFC is something that boxing can learn a great deal from.”

It was Hatton’s first taste of live UFC action and he said: “The whole aspect of it was great and, rather than boxing ignore it, it should take a leaf out of the UFC book.

“For instance, they have big screens around the arena with pre-fight interviews which really get the crowd involved. Why can’t we do that at boxing matches in the UK?

“I was really, really impressed. I know that the UFC sells out wherever it is – but to be present at this fight night was an eye-opening experience.”

Hopefully, Hatton is the first step in helping the sport of boxing improve as well as helping the two sports get respect and peacefully coexist.