Shine Still Under Fire From Failed "Worlds Collide" Event

May 15, 2010 held the promise of being one of the bigger nights for mixed martial arts in North Carolina. Shine Fight Promotions, LLC planned to put on "Worlds Collide" in Fayetteville, N.C. with a headlining bout that finally pitted a true boxer against a veteran MMA fighter. This made the event a true draw not only at the gate, but on pay-per-view as well. Ricardo Mayorga, a former World Boxing Association welterweight champion, was set to face UFC veteran and MMA ambassador, Din Thomas.

 

Continue reading this post »

Shine Still Under Fire From Failed "Worlds Collide" Event

May 15, 2010 held the promise of being one of the bigger nights for mixed martial arts in North Carolina. Shine Fight Promotions, LLC planned to put on "Worlds Collide" in Fayetteville, N.C. with a headlining bout that finally pitted a true boxer against a veteran MMA fighter. This made the event a true draw not only at the gate, but on pay-per-view as well. Ricardo Mayorga, a former World Boxing Association welterweight champion, was set to face UFC veteran and MMA ambassador, Din Thomas.

Continue reading this post »

· Fedor Emelianenko ~ Ready To Fight With Anyone

Saturday’s bout with Werdum, which is certain to be one of the most watched fights across the world, as are most of Emelianenko’s bouts, will especially be important to his native Russia. Emelianenko’s only emotional display comes when the topic of who he’s fighting for is approached. While many fighters nobly fight for their families, their gyms, or for their art in general, Fedor fights for his country and the millions of people that look up him as not only a competitor, or a citizen, but as a man. And when so many athletes and public figures go to great lengths to avoid the trappings of people who look up to them or follow their examples, Emelianenko embraces the challenge, much like he does any opponent. "I consider myself a role model, and could never separate myself from my motherland. I represent my country and defend the honor of Russia and encourage my teammates and fellow fighters to follow the path I have forged."

Continue reading this post »

MMASpot recently sat down with Strikeforce fighter Antwain Britt, who will be fighting at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery on May 16 against Rafael "Faijao" Cavalcante. Check out the 5 part interview below: Part 1 - History and Personal Life MMASpot.net sits down with Strikeforce fighter Antwain Britt to talk about his personal life, how he got into Mixed Martial Arts, and much more! Part 2 - Nutrition MMASpot.net sits down with Strikeforce fighter Antwain Britt to talk about his diet, how he manages his nutrition, and what he suggests for people looking to stay healthy. Part 3 - Training MMASpot.net sits down with Strikeforce fighter Antwain Britt and his trainers to talk about his training, how he keeps in shape, and how he prepares for his fights. Part 4 - Fight Career - Early Years MMASpot.net sits down with Strikeforce fighter Antwain Britt to talk about his fight career and some notable match-ups he's been in. Part 5 - Fight Career - Recent Times MMASpot.net sits down with Strikeforce fighter Antwain Britt to talk about his recent fight career, fighting in a one-night tournament, and his tenure with Strikeforce.

On The Spot ~ Dan Hornbuckle

Dan "The Handler" Hornbuckle (20-2) is best known for knocking out Japanese mixed martial arts superstar Akihiro Gono with a devastating head kick at "Sengoku: Ninth Battle" at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan in August 2009. In a fight that few gave Hornbuckle a chance, he showed the world a glimpse of his potential with a knockout that earned him numerous "KO of the Year" nominations. Since that fight he has continued to climb toward his goal, a goal that involves fighting the best en route to becoming a world champion. MMA Spot’s Thomas Caldwell had a chance to sit down with Hornbuckle and ask him some questions as he wrapped up a training session at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. The Bellator fighter opened up about the promotion, his feelings on the Ben Askren and Ryan Thomas controversy, as well as what will be most important in his continuing journey to the championship.

Continue reading this post »

"MMA For Charity" Recap from MMA SPOT on Vimeo.

On March 13-14, "MMA for Charity" was held in Richmond, VA, at the MMA Institute. Seminars were held by fighters and instructors including Tom Lawlor, Sam Hoger, Mackens Semerzier, Aaron Riley, Jorge Masvidal, Seph Smith, Ryan Hall, Braulio Estima, and John Simons. Proceeds from the event and the accompanying auction will go to the "Hope for Haiti Children's Center." MMASpot.net was on hand to talk with event organizers and trainers. For more information on the event, please visit www.mmaforcharity.org

"MMA For Charity" Recap from MMA SPOT on Vimeo.

On March 13-14, "MMA for Charity" was held in Richmond, VA, at the MMA Institute. Seminars were held by fighters and instructors including Tom Lawlor, Sam Hoger, Mackens Semerzier, Aaron Riley, Jorge Masvidal, Seph Smith, Ryan Hall, Braulio Estima, and John Simons. Proceeds from the event and the accompanying auction will go to the "Hope for Haiti Children's Center." MMASpot.net was on hand to talk with event organizers and trainers. For more information on the event, please visit www.mmaforcharity.org

On The Spot ~ K.J. Noons

With all the talk recently of Ricardo Mayorga, James Toney, and now B.J. Flores, some people have lost attention to one of the sport's first real two-way stars. On Monday morning, former Elite XC lightweight champion K.J. Noons will be making his return to mixed martial arts when he takes on Andre "Dida" Amade at Dream 13 from Japan. Noons has had a successful career splitting time between the worlds of professional boxing and MMA. The Kailua-Kona, Hawaii native has a professional boxing record of 11-2 and is 7-2 in MMA. Although Noons has never fought in the three largest organizations in the sport, his record matches up with many of the elites at lightweight anywhere in the sport. He has wins over Yves Edwards, Edson Berto, and current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz. Noons signed with Strikeforce this past December and hopes to challenge the winner of the upcoming lightweight title bout against Champion Gilbert Melendez and Shinya Aoki. But he must get past Amade in his Dream bout before that can become a reality. Noons recently sat down with MMA Spot to talk about how he manages both careers, his fight with Amade, and his rivalry with Nick Diaz.

Continue reading this post »

On The Spot ~ K.J. Noons

With all the talk recently of Ricardo Mayorga, James Toney, and now B.J. Flores, some people have lost attention to one of the sport's first real two-way stars. On Monday morning, former Elite XC lightweight champion K.J. Noons will be making his return to mixed martial arts when he takes on Andre "Dida" Amade at Dream 13 from Japan. Noons has had a successful career splitting time between the worlds of professional boxing and MMA. The Kailua-Kona, Hawaii native has a professional boxing record of 11-2 and is 7-2 in MMA. Although Noons has never fought in the three largest organizations in the sport, his record matches up with many of the elites at lightweight anywhere in the sport. He has wins over Yves Edwards, Edson Berto, and current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz. Noons signed with Strikeforce this past December and hopes to challenge the winner of the upcoming lightweight title bout against Champion Gilbert Melendez and Shinya Aoki. But he must get past Amade in his Dream bout before that can become a reality. Noons recently sat down with MMA Spot to talk about how he manages both careers, his fight with Amade, and his rivalry with Nick Diaz.

Continue reading this post »

Dave Hess ~ Long Days and Hard Work

In every fighter's career an opportunity comes along to make a name for themselves by defeating an opponent with a well-known name. This Saturday, heavyweight fighter Dave Hess will get that opportunity as he faces off against UFC veteran "Irish" Jake O'Brien in the main event of "MMA Big Show: Triple Threat." MMASpot recently sat down with Dave to discuss his origins and his thoughts on the fight.

Continue reading this post »

This is an interview I did with Niko Vitale, who you may remember from his UFC, IFL, and Strikeforce bouts. He's the guy Lindland KO'd himself against. Enjoy, I appreciate your feedback!

· Niko Vitale ~ Showing What He’s About

Hawaiian fighter Falaniko "Niko" Vitale has had an illustrious MMA career spanning more than a decade, appearing in major promotions such as the UFC, Strikeforce, Icon Sport, and the International Fight League (IFL). With 26 wins to only nine losses, Vitale has fought some of the toughest opponents in the world. In the coming months, Niko will return to fighting, after a year-long layoff, in his Shine Fights debut against Murilo "Ninja" Rua. MMA Spot recently sat down with Niko to discuss his past and his training.

Falaniko "Niko" Vitale was born in Hawaii and has lived there for most of his life. Growing up, he was constantly engaged in athletics. "I played sports all my life, football, baseball, basketball, messed around with boxing a little bit when I was 9 or 10. I wasn’t an amateur or anything but I did train." In addition to sports, Niko grew up influenced by his father's performing career. "My father was a fire dancer. It’s a Samoan fire dance called Siva Afi, a traditional dance performed by warriors back in the day. It was something that he grew up learning. I picked it up, I know how to do it. I performed twice though it wasn’t something that he really wanted me to do as a career because it’s a rough business to be in."

Continue reading this post »

This is my latest interview, you may remember Niko from his UFC 43 and 45 bouts with Lindland, his IFL fight with Horn, or his Strikeforce fight with Trigg. Enjoy!

· Niko Vitale ~ Showing What He’s About

Hawaiian fighter Falaniko "Niko" Vitale has had an illustrious MMA career spanning more than a decade, appearing in major promotions such as the UFC, Strikeforce, Icon Sport, and the International Fight League (IFL). With 26 wins to only nine losses, Vitale has fought some of the toughest opponents in the world. In the coming months, Niko will return to fighting, after a year-long layoff, in his Shine Fights debut against Murilo "Ninja" Rua. MMA Spot recently sat down with Niko to discuss his past and his training.

Falaniko "Niko" Vitale was born in Hawaii and has lived there for most of his life. Growing up, he was constantly engaged in athletics. "I played sports all my life, football, baseball, basketball, messed around with boxing a little bit when I was 9 or 10. I wasn’t an amateur or anything but I did train." In addition to sports, Niko grew up influenced by his father's performing career. "My father was a fire dancer. It’s a Samoan fire dance called Siva Afi, a traditional dance performed by warriors back in the day. It was something that he grew up learning. I picked it up, I know how to do it. I performed twice though it wasn’t something that he really wanted me to do as a career because it’s a rough business to be in."

Continue reading this post »

If you ever scoffed at the notion of a mixed martial artist getting better with age, then look no further than this Saturday’s main event at "UFC 109: Relentless." Two UFC Hall of Famers, 46-year-old five-time UFC champion Randy "The Natural" Couture and 45-year-old former Ohio State national champion wrestler Mark Coleman, will square off in a fight where the combined age of the competitors tops an incredible 90. Couture and Coleman may be anomalies in the sports world, but the fact that these two legends can still be going strong is a testament to the work ethic and desire to compete that is prevalent in the world of mixed martial arts. The fact that two ageless veterans can headline a card during Super Bowl weekend, typically one of the biggest shows of the year for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, in a fight that has been dreamed about for years is almost unfathomable.

Continue reading this post »

Full Interview at MMASpot.net

Chicago-based Bellator Fighting Championships recently announced the signing of lightweight competitor Ferrid "The Hurricane" Kheder, an Olympic-level judoka who began competing in MMA in 2006. Boasting an impressive 16-5 record, with all losses coming by way of decision, this French-born fighter is looking to make a splash in the 155 pound tournament set to being April 8. MMASpot's Joe Gullo recently sat down with Kheder to talk about his judo background, his transition to MMA and his thoughts on his new promotion.

Continue reading this post »

Full Interview at MMASpot.net

Chicago-based Bellator Fighting Championships recently announced the signing of lightweight competitor Ferrid "The Hurricane" Kheder, an Olympic-level judoka who began competing in MMA in 2006. Boasting an impressive 16-5 record, with all losses coming by way of decision, this French-born fighter is looking to make a splash in the 155 pound tournament set to being April 8. MMASpot's Joe Gullo recently sat down with Kheder to talk about his judo background, his transition to MMA and his thoughts on his new promotion.

Continue reading this post »

A Look At Grappling In The Light Heavyweight Division

Quote:

Ask almost any MMA fan what the most stacked weight class is in MMA and you will certainly hear that the 205 pound light heavyweight division is king. Particularly in recent years, the UFC light heavyweight title has been one of the most highly contested, with champions defending the title for only a single fight, if at all. Nevertheless, fans may have noticed a significant omission to the division that really challenges the "mixed" aspect of mixed martial arts. Light heavyweight fighters have largely ignored the ground game, and instead have focused primarily on the striking and clinch elements of MMA. At first glance, it may not seem like there is any significant difference between 205 pound fighters and those in other divisions; however, a deeper look at recent results exposes the stand-up bias. So far in 2009, there have been 29 contests in the UFC's light heavyweight division. Of those, only two (7%) have ended in submission*, while 11 have ended in KO/TKO (38%).

Quote:

Not only are 205 pound fighters not finishing fights with submissions, but they're infrequently taking fights to the ground at all. According to CompuStrike, in UFC light heavyweight title fights dating back to Griffin vs. Jackson at UFC 86, only one successful takedown has been executed.

Quote:

Taking a look at the skill sets of the fighters, there is no reason to believe that lack of skill causes fighters to avoid the ground. The light heavyweight division is home to world-renowned wrestlers including Dan Henderson, Matt Hamill, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Ryan Bader, Mark Coleman and Rashad Evans. Additionally, many fighters that have fought in the division hold Black Belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, including Lyoto Machida, Wanderlei Silva, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Anderson Silva, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Thiago Silva. With such credentials one could speculate that fighters have such strong takedown defense that they neutralize each other, or possibly that they respect each others reputations enough to avoid challenging them where they excel.

Quote:

No matter the cause, MMA is a constantly evolving sport and this trend may signal its next evolutionary step. Just as jiu-jitsu revolutionized a sport dominated by wrestlers, light heavyweight strikers have begun to introduce new elements in order to stay competitive and rise above the increasingly homogeneous competition. Lyoto Machida's stand-up, with it's unorthodox style and heavy reliance on Karate, has proven to be an enigma for his competition with fighters only recently finding an answer to his elusiveness. Anderson Silva, with two fights in the division, has thus far proven almost impossible to hit and has introduced angles that have devastated his competition.

Link To Full Article

MMA Spot - Marcello Foran ~ Passionate About His Work

If there is one word that best describes Marcello Foran, CEO and founder of the Ultimate Warrior Challenge, it would be "Passionate". His love of MMA and sheer dedication to the sport are infectious to anyone talking to him.

Foran started Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UWC) in 2006; his brother, a two-time All-Met wrestler and Special Forces Marine, had begun training and competing in MMA. Foran, already owning and operated a VIP luxury lifestyle management company, knew about event production and decided to get into the business.

From the Interview:

"I saw it as a challenge to myself as an entrepreneur and a chance to be a part of the history of it. You don't often get a chance to be a part of the history, even if you are really good at what you do."

From there the UWC has grown by leaps and bounds; in Foran's own words, "We have come as far and as fast as anyone. We are always looking to grow." Not only are they growing they are doing it the right way. "We aren't doing the EXC or the Affliction model. Everyone told me when we were starting to do it right and build from the ground up." That strategy has worked "We have been able to build to where we are on 1%, maybe half of 1% of what some of other organizations have spent, and some of them put 40 or 50 million dollars in and still aren't around anymore."

Foran's driven focus for the sport and his organization comes to the forefront when he discusses dealing with the obsticles of running a mixed martial arts promotion; "You have to have a true love about making an impact. Whether it is running a promotion, playing the guitar, or being a good father you have to have the passion, determination and the desire to make it successful. The best, worst and most frustrating things are the level of commitment that you and others are willing to put in." Along with commitment, he also cited chemistry as being crucial to success, "The biggest asset and limitation is the chemistry of those people. That has been the biggest cause of our growth and has been the cause for things that have held us back the most."

Full Article