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March 9, 2009
 Arsenal Posted:
Borrowed from Yahoo! Sports . . .
TUF 9 casts pit U.S. vs. U.K.
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
The ninth season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which premieres on April 1 on Spike TV, will feature a unique twist.
While the concept will continue to be two teams of fighters competing against each other while coached by a high-profile UFC fighter, producers made one significant change. This time, there are 16 fighters (eight welterweight and eight lightweight) representing the United Kingdom who are fighting against 16 from the U.S.
“In all the past seasons of the show, we had these little cliques form and everyone developed a strong team identity,” UFC president Dana White said. “But this season, it’s crazy. With country versus country, the whole team thing goes crazy. It’s wild.”
Here is a look at the 32 cast members who will compete on the show. The survivors in each weight class will meet to be declared “The Ultimate Fighter” in the live finale June 20 in Las Vegas.
U.S. welterweights
• Ryan Biglar (2-1): Biglar, 24, is a jiu-jitsu fighter originally from Guam who represents the Cobra Kai in Las Vegas.
• Ray Elbe (20-11): A Muay Thai fighter, the 25-year-old Elbe has spent the last three years working on his game in Phuket, Thailand. The most notable man he’s faced was Renato Verissimo, who knocked him out in 2003.
• Christian Fulgium (6-2-1): A wrestler, Fulgium represents the Gladiator camp in Lafayette, La.
• DaMarques Johnson (13-6): Johnson took up MMA training while in the military. Training out of Elite Performance in Salt Lake City, Johnson once faced former World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion Brock Larson, who submitted him in a 2005 bout.
• Kevin Knabjian (10-3-1): A wrester from Eastern Illinois University, the same school that produced UFC star Matt Hughes, the one-time WEC fighter trains at Gilbert Grappling in Chicago.
• Mark Miller (10-4): A Muay Thai fighter also based in Chicago, Miller trains at Dino Costeas MMA and Toro Muay Thai.
• Jason Pierce (9-0): A one-time collegiate soccer player, Pierce trains with the vaunted Miletich Fighting Systems camp in Bettendorf, Iowa.
• Kiel Reid (8-1): A native of Bettendorf, Reid also trains with Miletich, whose experience includes a 2004 fight against UFC veteran Luigi Fiorvanti.
U.S. lightweights
• Paul Bird (4-1): A striker, Bird trains at Des Moines (Iowa) MMA. He has fought in the Midwest Cage Championships promotion.
• Santino DeFranco (13-4): A wrestler and jiu-jitsu specialist, DeFranco has experienced fighting in the now-defunct International Fight League. He also helped coach Efrain Escudero, the TUF 8 winner.
• Jason Dent (19-9): A submission specialist, Dent runs his own gym in Mentor, Ohio, at Griffon Brawl. He is a UFC veteran who has losses to Roger Huerta and Gleison Tibau.
• Cameron Dollar (4-1): Dollar trains in Colorado Springs, Colo., and is a former teammate of TUF alums Cory Hill and Noah Thomas.
• Tom Hayden (4-0): A submission fighter, Hayden is trained by popular UFC veteran Jorge Gurgel in West Chester, Ohio.
• Waylon Lowe (5-2): Lowe, 28, also fights for Gurgel.
• Josh Souder (7-2): A member of Team Prodigy, Souder has faced castmate Jason Dent in 2005, losing by TKO.
• Richie Whitson (4-0): A native Alaskan who trains with Team Quest in Temecula, Calif., Whitson is a heavy-handed striker.
• U.S. coach Dan Henderson: A two-time Olympic wrestler, Henderson is the only man to have simultaneously held two weight-class championships in PRIDE. He was the organization’s light heavyweight and middleweight champion and is one of the top fighters in the UFC.
U.K. welterweights
• Dean Amarasinghe (4-1): A grappler from Nottingham, England, Amarasinghe trains at Rough House Gym.
• James Bateman (2-1): A striker, Bateman trains at Grimsby NHB in Grimsby, England.
• David Faulkner (2-1): A member of the Wolfslair team that features U.K. coach Michael Bisping and UFC star Quinton Jackson, Faulkner is a submissions expert.
• Tommy Maguire (5-2): The 20-year-old Maguire is a striker who works with the Tsunami Gym in Wisbech, England.
• Che Mills (7-2): A tall welterweight at 6-foot-2, Mills works with ex-UFC fighter Mark Weir’s Range Fighting Gym.
• Nicholas Osipczak (3-0): Osipczak trains in London with Pancrase UK. He’s finished all of his fights in the first round.
• Alex Reid (10-9-1): Reid, 33, trains in London with the London Shoot Fighters. He’s faced notable opponents such as Murilo Rua, Tony Fryklund, Dave Menne and Jorge Rivera.
• James Wilks (5-2): Trained by veteran Eric Paulson in Orange County, Calif., the 30-year-old Wilks is a striker.
U.K. lightweights
• James Bryan (3-1): A striker, Bryan, 25, is from Somerset, England.
• Dan James (3-0): A striker from Swansea, Wales, he’s finished two of his three pro bouts.
• Gary Kelly (2-1): A striker, the 25-year-old Kelly trains alongside Bisping and Jackson at Wolfslair in Liverpool, England.
• Jeff Lawson (13-2): A submission fighter with 12 finishes, Lawson trains with Team Bulldog in Dorset, England.
• Ross Pearson (9-3): A striker, Pearson trains at Sunderland Jiu-Jitsu & MMA Club in Sunderland, England.
• Martin Stapleton (5-1): A Muay Thai fighter, Stapleton is a product of Quannum Combat Arts.
• A.J. Wenn (7-2): A well-rounded fighter from the Tsunami Gym, Wenn is from Cambs, England.
• Andre Winner (9-2-1): Winner is a member of the Rough House team in London and is coming off a loss and a draw in his two fights prior to appearing on the show.
• U.K. coach Michael Bisping: Bisping was the light heavyweight winner on Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He has gone on to become one of the world’s top middleweights. His only loss was a disputed decision to current UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.
 Arsenal Posted:Quinton Jackson — $325,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus)
Keith Jardine — $55,000
Shane Carwin — $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
Gabriel Gonzaga: $60,000
Matt Brown — $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
Pete Sell — $12,000
Matt Hamill — $40,000 ($20,000 win bonus)
Mark Munoz — $12,000
Gray Maynard — $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
Jim Miller — $9,000
Tamdan McCrory — $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
Ryan Madigan — $3,000
Kendall Grove — $44,000 (includes $22,000 win bonus)
Jason Day — $5,000
Jason Brilz — $10,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus)
Tim Boetsch — $12,000
Brandon Vera — $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
Michael Patt — $5,000
Shane Nelson — $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus
Aaron Riley — $6,000
March 8, 2009
 Arsenal Posted:
Quinton Jackson Vs. Keith Jardine
Quinton Jackson Wins by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round
Gabriel Gonzaga Vs. Shane Carwin
Shane Carwin Wins by Knock Out at 1:09 in the 1st round
Pete Sell Vs. Matt Brown
Matt Brown Wins by Technical Knock Out at 1:32 in the 1st round
Matt Hamill Vs. Mark Munoz
Matt Hamill Wins by Knock Out at 3:53 in the 1st round
Gray Maynard Vs. Jim Miller
Gray Maynard Wins by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round
Tamdan McCrory Vs. Ryan Madigan
Tamdan McCrory Wins by Technical Knock Out at 3:35 in the 1st round
Kendall Grove Vs. Jason Day
Kendall Grove Wins by Technical Knock Out at 1:32 in the 1st round
Tim Boetsch Vs. Jason Brilz
Jason Brilz Wins by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round
Brandon Vera Vs. Michael Patt
Brandon Vera Wins by Technical Knock Out at 1:27 in the 2nd round
Aaron Riley Vs. Shane Nelson
Shane Nelson Wins by Technical Knock Out at 0:44 in the 1st round
March 7, 2009
 Arsenal Posted:borrowed from UFC.com . . .
COLUMBUS, OH, March 7 - Following an injury to his right knee suffered during training recently and subsequent arthroscopic surgery this week, interim UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir has been forced to postpone his May 23rd rematch with Brock Lesnar until sometime later this year.
“It’s disappointing, but this is the nature of the fight game,” said UFC President Dana White of the postponement of the UFC 98 main event. “Guys work hard in the gym and sometimes they get hurt. I’m glad that Frank got his injury taken care of, that it wasn’t serious and that he’ll be able to get back to sparring within the next month and a half. I know he wants to be a hundred percent for this fight and I know Brock wants to fight the best Frank Mir possible. It’s a great fight and a great grudge match – we’ll just have to wait a little longer for it.”
“I’m not happy about the postponement, but I’m taking this fight very seriously, and I want to be at my best when I step into the Octagon with Brock Lesnar again,” said Mir, who submitted Lesnar in the first round in their first meeting in February of 2008. “He’s not going to catch me off-guard like he did the first time we fought, and even with that I still beat him. But with my doctor ordering me not to spar, roll, or wrestle for four to six weeks, there would have been no way to prepare properly for a fight this important. I’m taking my belt back in 2009, and I’m going to be as close to 100 percent as possible when I do it.”
The announcement of the postponement was made during Saturday night’s UFC 96 telecast at the Nationwide Arena. No rescheduled date has been announced. Lesnar will not appear on the UFC 98 card, which will have a new main event revealed shortly.
March 6, 2009
 Arsenal Posted:
 Arsenal Posted:Los Angeles, Calif. – March 6, 2009 – Bellator Fighting Championships, announced today that Bellator II (the second event of the highly anticipated 12-week tournament series airing on ESPN Deportes) will be hosted by Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut on April 10, 2009. The second nationally and internationally-televised event hosted by Mohegan Sun will occur Friday, June 12, 2009 and will feature a Bellator World Championship bout.
“We are very pleased to bring world-class mixed martial arts events to Mohegan Sun’s spectacular venue,” said Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The team at Mohegan Sun has a wealth of experience and expertise in hosting some of the world’s top fighting sports events and we look forward to building on that great legacy with them.”
Bellator II on Friday April 10, 2009 will feature a collection of highly-competitive, evenly matched tournament bouts in the Featherweight (145 lbs.), Lightweight (155 lbs.) and Welterweight (170 lbs.) divisions, as well as a strong undercard including several featured non-tournament bouts. Tickets can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets, and go on sale Friday, March 6, 2009 at 12:00 pm EST through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com, call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000, or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. The fight card is detailed below:
Tournament Bouts:
145 lbs. – Wilson Reis (6-0) vs. Henry Martinez (5-1)
155 lbs. – Thomas Schulte (18-6) vs. Ivan Iberico (7-1/27-1)
170 lbs. – Lyman Good (7-0) vs. Hector Urbina (12-4)
170 lbs. – Jorge Ortiz (15-4) vs. Aaron Romero (5-2)
170 lbs. – Dave Menne (42-15) vs. Norman Paraisy (5-0)
170 lbs. – Omar De La Cruz (3-1) vs. Victor Meza (9-0)
Bob Yalen, Mohegan Sun’s Director of Sports & Entertainment said, “Bjorn and company have a history of producing high quality, competitive boxing events, and we have no reason not to expect the same as they embark into the world of mixed martial arts; Mohegan Sun is excited to be hosting the Bellator mixed martial arts fighting championships here.”
Headlining Bellator’s Featherweight tournament on this stacked card is undefeated former EliteXC champion Wilson Reis and Albequerque’s fastest rising star, the once-beaten Henry Martinez. The match-up is a battle of ground fighting aces, pitting Reis’ multiple Jiu-Jitsu World Championship skills against Martinez’s action-filled ground and pound game. Both are rising Featherweights on the world stage looking to establish their name amongst the world’s best. Reis is from Brazil , currently fighting out of Philadelphia , while Martinez fights out of famed Greg Jackson’s Fighting Academy in Albuquerque , NM.
Also looking to establish his name on the world stage is undefeated Welterweight Lyman Good, who will face heavy handed knockout artist Hector Urbina. Both fighters are dropping from Middleweight to Welterweight for this championship tournament and both are established banging stand up fighters; non-stop action is expected from this match-up. Lyman good fights out of Queens , NY , by way of Puerto Rico and Hector Urbina fights out of Indiana.
April 10th will also witness the return to the world stage for former UFC Champion Dave Menne against France ’s greatest Welterweight MMA fighter, the undefeated Norman Paraisy. Also featured in tournament competition will be a great clash between Mexico ’s top Welterweight Jorge Ortiz, and Denver ’s promising Welterweight Aaron Romero.
The Lightweight division will feature a compelling match-up between submission ace and multiple world champion Thomas Schulte and the greatest MMA fighter in Peruvian history, Ivan Iberico. Schulte is an expert on the ground with all 18 wins coming via submission, and Iberico is the Peruvian national wrestling Champion who has a 7 win 1 loss record on the U.S. books, but who has established a spectacular 27 win 1 loss record including MMA fights in his native Peru.
Bellator Fighting Championships’ premiere season consists of 12 two-hour events to be broadcast weekly in primetime on Saturday nights. The nationally televised events will feature a combination of tournament and non-tournament special feature bouts. There will be four simultaneous tournaments taking place in season #1 over a three month period: one in each of the Featherweight (145 lb.), Lightweight (155 lb.), Welterweight (170 lb.) and Middleweight (185 lb.) divisions.
For more information about Bellator Fighting Championships, visit www.bellator.com. A Spanish version of the website, www.Espanol.Bellator.com, will be launching in March 2009
 Arsenal Posted:
205 lbs.: Quinton Jackson (205) vs. Keith Jardine (204)
265 lbs.: Shane Carwin (259.5) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (257.5)
170 lbs.: Pete Sell (170) vs. Matt Brown (170.5)
205 lbs.: Matt Hamill (205) vs. Mark Munoz (204.5)
155 lbs.: Jim Miller (154.5) vs. Gray Maynard (155)
170 lbs.: Ryan Madigan (169) vs. Tamdan McCrory (170)
185 lbs.: Kendall Grove (185) vs. Jason Day (184.5)
205 lbs.: Tim Boetsch (205) vs. Jason Brilz (204)
205 lbs.: Brandon Vera (205) vs. Mike Patt (204.5)
155 lbs: Aaron Riley (155) vs. Shane Nelson (155)
 Arsenal Posted:
March 5, 2009
 Arsenal Posted:San Jose, CA – Frank Shamrock will hold Fight Team tryouts at his MMA academy on March 21, 2009 in San Jose, California.
All sizes and weight classes with backgrounds in combat sports such as boxing, wrestling, muay thai, kickboxing and traditional martial arts are welcome to attend the tryout/casting call with the potential to train with Frank Shamrock at his academy as well as opportunities with Showtime, Strikeforce, MMAE, various reality TV shows and other media.
Unique to this try out is the potential for one athlete to be signed with Strikeforce, the fighting promotion that will air on Showtime and CBS with the next title fight Frank Shamrock vs. Nick Diaz appearing on April 11, 2009 on Showtime.
The tryouts will be held on Saturday, March 21, from 11am – 2pm at the Shamrock Martial Arts Academy.
For more information or to RSVP, contact us at: info@frankshamrock.com or call (4….
MMA Stars have included:
* Shonie Carter – UFC Fighter and Ultimate Fighter Reality TV Star
* Dan Puder - WWE $1,000,000 - Tough Enough Challenge winner
* Dan Rizzuto – Shooto fighter, Professional Stunt Man
* Mike Swick – Ultimate Fighter Reality show contestant, UFC contract
* Ryan Bow – Shooto fighter
* Bobby Southworth - Ultimate Fighter Reality show semifinalist, Pride Fighting Championship
* Paul Buentello – UFC, Strikeforce
* Mike Kyle – UFC, WEC
* Eugene Jackson – UFC, Strikeforce
* Clint Coronel – Strikeforce, Showtime
* Rob Cole – Professional Wrestler New Japan, MMA Demo Team, Professional Instructor
* Frank Shamrock – Undefeated UFC Champion, Actor and Professional Speaker and Martial Artist
* And many more…
Members of MMA Stars have appeared in the following events:
* UFC, Strikeforce, IFL, ELITEXC, WEC, Pride, K-1, WWE, WFA, ShootBox, Bushido, King of the Cage, Rage in the Cage, FFC, and more.
“I took a few years off from training the team to focus on other areas of the arts and now we are ready to begin again; if you desire a lifestyle and professional career in mixed martial arts, we would love to welcome you to the family.” - Frank Shamrock
WHEN
Saturday, March 21, 2009
11:00am - 2:00pm
WHERE
San Jose Athletic Club
196 North Third Street
San Jose, CA
(408) 2…
www.SJAthleticClub.com
HOW
You will need to do the following:
* Plan your own flight to and from San Jose
You pay for flight, motel, transportation and food
* Please remember to bring all gear needed to try out. This includes:
Mouthpiece, cup, gloves (boxing and MMA gloves), wraps, shin pads. Don’t forget to bring knee pads, braces etc., if you need them. ALL gear must be clean!
* The cost to try out is $75.00 if you have had LESS then 5 pro fights. Free to professional fighters with 5 or more pro fights (listed on Sherdog.com). PLEASE BRING PROOF OF THIS.
There are a number of motel/hotels in the area close to the academy and of course you are free to choose whichever you like.
Flamingo Motel
1084 The Alameda
San Jose, CA, 95126
866…
Days Inn Airport
1280 N 4th St
San Jose, CA, 95112
866…
Executive Inn San Jose (Airport)
1310 N 1st St
San Jose, CA, 95112
866…
Holiday Inn Express San Jose-International Airport
1350 N 4th St
San Jose, CA, 95112
866…
Comfort Inn San Jose
875 N 13th St
San Jose, CA, 95112
866…
About MMA Stars
MMA Stars is a talent development and brand management company focused on creating and developing world-class talent for combative sports and sports entertainment. The company is dedicated to creating lifelong brands and professionalism in martial athletes and sports personalities in a variety of combat sports. Located in San Jose, California, MMA Stars has a global team of partners and companies with a diverse background in: live events, martial arts instruction, branding, sport specific training, business development, consulting and asset management.
For more information www.mmastars.com
About Shamrock Martial Arts
Shamrock Martial Arts Inc (SMA) is a world-renowned franchise and community service provider of mixed martial arts (MMA) with martial training for adults, children and professional athletes. SMA embraces MMA, the fastest growing spectator sport in the world, with the highest level of honor, integrity, and discipline leading the international community in this family based lifestyle industry. From the flagship location in San Jose, California, founder and UFC Legend Frank Shamrock teaches and trains students, managers and franchise owners in the art of fight entrepreneurship; the Shamrock Way.
For more information www.shamrockmma.com
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