SB Nation User Blog: skwirrl

Jason Ellis, skater, Radio and TV host, makes Pro MMA debut fighting with Mayhem, (and King Mo?) in...

skwirrl — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:54:05 -0000

Jason Ellis, skater, Radio and TV host, makes Pro MMA debut fighting with Mayhem, (and King Mo?) in his corner

UFN on Spike Tonight, Showtime has What is GUARANTEED to be a Dynamite Fight

skwirrl — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 23:46:38 -0000

To any MMA fan that wants to see what is GUARANTEED to be a dynamite fight.

Tune in to Showtime's main event for the Darchinyan vs Arce fight. Yes its boxing which will immediately turn some of you off... But if you give any fight a chance I would say give this one a chance. Its little guys but they both are completely offensive minded, hit like a truck, and like to win by attrition. Plus, they are two of the most talented guys in any of the weight classes around them. Oh – And there is several years of bad blood brewing.

So if nothing else DVR the Showtime fights tonight you won’t be dissappointed.

I would stake my reputation as a boxing fan on this fight being fucking amazing if not an all out war while it lasts. This could be FotY.

Roger Gracie Interview With Tatame - I'm Training for a Fight at March 20th Sengoku

skwirrl — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:43:21 -0000

Do you know when you'll be back to Sengoku?

I’m training to fight MMA now in March, at Sengoku, Japan. It’s 90% right, but it isn’t confirmed yet and I can’t guarantee. But I believe that will happen. I’m training in my gym. If I do fight in March, I’ll continue doing my training in London and four weeks before the fight I believe that I should go to NY with Renzo (Gracie).

How do you come for your third fight?

I think that I develop a lot my game after every fight I do. This will be the third fight in MMA and I believe I’ll be better every fight, not only physically but also mentally, with more experience, in a different way in the ring. The more I compete, the more I overcome myself.

This is why I abso-freaking-lutely fucking love HDnet.

check the rest here

DREAM Announces 11 Participants for FWGP

skwirrl — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:37:55 -0000

From NightmareofBattle

11 participants for the DREAM Featherweight GP were announced today. The only surprises are Hiroyuki Takaya and very talented Greco-Roman Wrestler Joe Warren who received a two-year doping suspension in 2007 when he failed a drug test (for the second time) which made him miss the 2008 Olympics. The rest are as expected and it looks like another quality Featherweight GP.

Kid's participation is still not completely set but its likely that he will be slotted into the second round as the favorite with a first round bye

The weight of the GP also has yet to be set... Though IMO its likely that it will be between 138-143 depending on what Kid can make.

HEIWA DREAM.7 Featherweight GP 2009 1st Round
Date: March 8th, 2009
Place: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Featherweight GP Participants:
Masakazu Imanari
Hiroyuki Takaya
Takafumi Otsuka
Hideo Tokoro
Wicky Akiyo
Atsushi Yamamoto
Bibiano Fernandes
Micah Miller
Chase Beebe
Joe Warren
Kim Jong Won
SHOJI/DJ.taiki

Station Casinos Attempting to File for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

skwirrl — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:07:30 -0000

Feb. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Station Casinos Inc., the Las Vegas gambling company taken private by management and Colony Capital LLC in 2007, proposed filing for bankruptcy in collaboration with lenders as it struggles to pay the debt from the buyout.

The company offered investors 10 cents to 50 cents on the dollar in secured notes and cash, in exchange for about $2.3 billion of existing bonds, Station Casinos said in a statement yesterday. Some secured lenders have agreed to support the plan, the company said.

Station, which promotes its casinos to local gamblers in the Las Vegas area, had trouble paying creditors in a market among the hardest hit by deteriorating home prices and recession- driven job losses. Gambling revenue in Las Vegas last year may have fallen the most on record.

Unsecured bondholders “would prefer more cash to go their way,” said Chris Snow, a debt analyst at CreditSights Inc. in New York. “It certainly helps that the sponsors are putting up more capital in the form of equity.”

It seems Fertittas and Colony will have to come up with some cash to insert in the venture if they wanna have any hope of keeping their sasinos

As part of the proposal, affiliates of the Fertitta family and Colony Capital have agreed to invest as much as $244 million to maintain their current ownership stakes.

In December, Station abandoned a debt-exchange offer for some senior notes after trying to prod investors to accept a below-face-value cash payment or new, discounted notes with longer maturities.

If enough bondholders agree to this proposal, the company may file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Station Casinos said in the statement. Under bankruptcy regulations, two-thirds of senior noteholders and two-thirds of subordinated noteholders have to agree with the plan before it is filed.

Station Casinos missed a scheduled $14.6 million bond interest payment on Feb. 2, ahead of the restructure plan. The company said yesterday it had about $350 million in cash as of Jan. 31 to fund operations.

So do the Fertittas hold ZUFFA or do they try and retain controlling interest of their family's baby from bondholders?

Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., the world’s largest casino company, swapped $2.22 billion in bonds for new notes and cash in December in a sweetened exchange offer aimed at pushing back maturities and reducing debt.

Leon Black’s Apollo Management LP and TPG Inc. acquired Harrah’s in January 2008 for $30.7 billion, including $13.4 billion in assumed debt and transaction costs.

Read the comments in the link on this post for a good laugh

skwirrl — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:27:52 -0000

I wonder if half the guys in there ever show their face/screenname again

Lulz at stupidity

Good jobs to Brent, Nate and all others that know a brilliant ring tactician when they see it.

For the record - That Machida guy sure seems pretty good. If I had ever doubted him before I'd definately stop doubting him right about now. Can't wait for him to do this to Evans... Or for it to be one of the most boring titles fights ever as you pit a master counterpuncher like Machida against a guy that eludes and shoots or throws the occasional haymaker like Evans

Varner vs Cerrone rematch in the works for Arizona

skwirrl — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:11:07 -0000

As reported by CBSsports.com contributer Gary Herman

WEC Vice President Peter Dropick not only confirmed the possible rematch, but said that Varner’s home state of Arizona is being considered as a potential destination.

“Arizona is definitely possible for the rematch,” Dropick told Herman. “Their rules have changed.”

Damn already? Planning it so soon?

Varner is already on board for a second fight vs. Cerrone.

“Oh, hell yeah,” Varner is quoted in the report as responding when asked about possibly facing Cerrone again. “There will be a rematch. It was an honor to fight this guy. He’s still the number one contender. I can’t wait to fight him again.”

Could be a while though:

The scheduling of the rematch may not happen for an extended duration due to the fact that Varner broke a bone in his foot as well as the index metacarpal on his right hand.

Fortunately there doesn't seem to be any worry here about career ending injury so we can get this match on the books.

Werdum: I'm Close to Signing with Sengoku and Affliction (who woulda figured?) - Manhoef Could Fight at DREAM 7

skwirrl — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:28:59 -0000

rom NightmareofBattle

Fabricio Werdum has told Tatame that he is close to signing with SENGOKU and Affliction. Check for details on Tatame’s English site if/when they put it up.

Hari’s teammate Melvin Manhoef might have a very busy fight schedule in the coming months. Manhoef’s management confirmed to 5 Oz of Pain that Melvin might participate at DREAM.7 in March. Besides that Melvin has a Kickboxing fight in February at an It’s Showtime event, a possible K-1 WGP in Yokohama participation at the end of March, and a fight at the aforementioned It’s Showtime event in May against Stefan Leko.

HEIWA DREAM.7 Featherweight GP 2009 1st Round
Date: March 8th, 2009
Place: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Possible Featherweight GP Participants:
Chase Beebe
Masakazu Imanari
Wicky Akiyo
Kazuyuki Miyata
DJ.taiki/SHOJI

Possible Participants:

Gegard Mousasi
Melvin Manhoef

Wow - Thats so strange that Affliction would be negotiating with Werdum when they have given up and are begging the UFC for survival. So weird! I can't possibly understand how that is happening!

Tatame: Arona confirmed for ADCC 2009

skwirrl — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:11:03 -0000

Could this set up an unofficial rematch of the only match that Fedor really struggled in? (Granted this was at least partially if not largely due to the weird rules in Rings)

From Tatame:

Away from competitions since 2007, at Pride, Ricardo Arona already has a date to come back. Training at Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Arona gets ready to be back at ADCC 2009. With the presence of the fighter in the event that launched him confirmed by the secretary of the event, Wagner Gomes, we spoke to the athlete on the expectation for the new challenge, that he knows like no one else.

"It’s very important to fight at the ADCC because I was away from MMA and competitions for a while, and I really started my professional life at ADCC, after I won my first ADCC. It’s important to return to competition and win it is very important to then sign new MMA contracts. It’s a matter of honor, because I’m unbeaten and is the best way to return", said Arona, who dreams of a superfight against Fedor Emelianenko, who is also confirmed in the event.

"He (Wagner) talked with me about a possible superfight with Fedor and, of course, I want it. It would be perfect, he has the difference in weight, but that doesn’t bother me. I would like it a lot", says the fighter. Asked about how would be the rematch from the defeat on MMA in the rules of Submission, Arona didn’t hide the optimism. "How would it be? (laughs) Oh, it’s difficult to imagine a fight, but it’ll be very good, it would be great. That’s my beach, the fight on the ground, takedowns, without punches... It would be perfect for me".

Check out the rest here - Thanks to Tatame

King Mo vs LHW King of Pancrase Ryo Kawamura Likely for Sengoku 7

skwirrl — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:07:42 -0000

Thanks to Nightmare of battle for keeping up with the news and letting the masses know that King Mo vs. LHW KOP Ryo Kawamura is very likely to take place at SENGOKU VII on March 20th. This was a fight that many people thought would happen on January 4th.

King Mo via awesomeness. This takes place March 20th and I'm stoked. I would say this should be a moderate step up in competition for Mo... But Fabio Silva KO'd this guy a little over a year and half ago. We know what Mo did to him.

Other fights being discussed for this card included Monson vs Roger Gracie - somehow I don't think thats gonna happen now lol.