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Strikeforce Labels Women’s MMA Weight Classes

Friday, February 26th, 2010

After conflicting media reports and press releases this week from Strikeforce themselves, it was announced on tonight’s Strikforce fights on Showtime that Strikeforce is “abiding by the MMA unified rules of conduct when it comes to labeling its female weight classes.” “That means that Cris Cyborg, the 145 pound champion is the Middleweight champ while tonight Hashi and Kaufman will meet to determine the first ever women’s 135 pound, or Welterweight champion.” This is a breath of fresh air from Strikeforce and makes me feel a lot better about their organization and marketing message after they referred to the title in a piece on Kaufman earlier this week as the “Bantamweight” championship and later released a press release referring to it as the “Welterweight” championship. To add further confusion, the Strikeforce Wikipedia page called the 135 pound division the “Featherweight” division at the time of writing this post.

Strikeforce Challengers is now underway on Showtime and will be headlined by the Women’s Welterweight Championship fight between Sarah Kaufman and Takayo Hashi as we will continue to update the Strikeforce Challengers 6 results online at ProFighting-fans.com.

Tags: Strikeforce Challengers, Strikeforce Challengers 6
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Strikeforce Miami – Preliminary Fights Underway

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

The Preliminary fights for Strikeforce Miami are underway in Florida after a 7:30 pm ET start to the event. The undercard began with a battle between John Kelly and Sabah Homasi which is already complete and continues with 6 more preliminary bouts including Ryan Keenan vs Hayder Hassan, Pablo Alfonso vs Marcos Domatta, Craig Oxley vs David Gomez, John Clark vs Joe Ray, David Zitnik vs Michael Byrnes and finally Jay Hieron vs Joe Riggs. While Hieron vs Riggs is main card-worthy, it’s hard to see this replacing any of the main card fights as Strikeforce has marketed the additions of Bobby Lashley and Herschel Walker to their lineup quite nicely. For the complete fight card and Strikeforce Miami results look to Pro Fighting Fans throughout the night as well as for our live Strikeforce Miami round by round blog.

Tags: strikeforce january 30, strikeforce january 30 results, strikeforce miami, strikeforce miami results
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Strikeforce: Miami Weigh-in Results

Friday, January 29th, 2010

The weigh-ins for Strikeforce Miami took place tonight at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, home of Saturday’s Showtime-televised event. The 22 fighters for the event started getting on the scales at 6 pm and the main card fighters all made weight with the only a stare-down between Cyborg & Coenen providing notable drama. However the preliminary card fighters made things interesting with multiple fighters arriving late for the weigh-ins and other coming in overweight. In the end, all of the bouts remain scheduled as planned and fans can follow the Strikeforce Miami results online here at ProFighting-fans.com. Also stay tuned to Pro Fighting Fans for updated Strikeforce news as well as our live blog of the event tomorrow night.

Tags: strikeforce january 30, strikeforce miami, strikeforce miami weigh-in results, strikeforce miami weigh-ins
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Brock Lesnar’s return, Greg Nagy interview, Michael Schiavello’s guest column and Strikeforce Live Results

Monday, January 25th, 2010

MMA Update – January 25th, 2010

Brock Lesnar- As first reported here, the UFC Heavyweight Champion will return to the Octagon in the Spring/Summer time frame this year. Will he be the same? Only time will tell as not only did Lesnar suffer a serious illness but his dieting will be changed going forward. Hopefully, Lesnar returns at full strength to face the winner of Carwin/Mir.

Greg Nagy- Greg Nagy will take on Herschel Walker this weekend at Strikeforce: Miami live on Showtime. Nagy’s story reads like the fictitious Rocky when he first encountered Apollo Creed. Like Rocky, Nagy is a relative unknown and gets a shot at glory with a victory over the former NFL great. Check out the interview with the unassuming Nagy here.

Michael Schiavello- Make sure you check out the guest column from one of the greatest announcers in the sport, Michael Schiavello. Appropriately titled The Voice Box, the column is a fascinating look into the sport from an announcers perspective.

Strikeforce Miami- The main event features Nick Diaz versus Marius Zaromskis for the Stikeforce Welterweight Title. The enigmatic Diaz will use his length and unorthodox striking in an attempt to halt the vicious kicking game of Zaromskis. Visit ProFighting-fans.com for a live blog of the Strikeforce event and to view the Strikeforce Miami January 30 results.

Scott Dryden
Editor-in-Chief www.profighting-fans.com

Posted in MMA General, Strikeforce | No Comments »

Herschel Walker talks MMA on ESPN’s The Herd

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Herschel Walker stopped by the Bristol, Connecticut campus of ESPN and made an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd today. Pro Fighting Fans has a brief summary of the interview below.

Walker will be making his Mixed Martial Arts debut fighting on the January 30 Strikeforce card on Showtime at 10 pm ET.

We learned that Walker is the largest minority owner a poultry company in the U.S. owning Renaissance Man Food Service.

Speaking to his MMA training, his stand-up game expected to be strength, but after training they now feel wrestling is his strength. Walker said he will be comfortable wherever his opponent takes the fight but he will be looking to control things.

Walker is training at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in California and several shots in the video footage showed him training with UFC Heavyweight Cain Velasquez.

Herschel said his biggest worry is not being prepared, and while he did give props to Dana White for cleaning up the sport of MMA, he said he is not a Dana White fan thanks to his negative comments about Walker debut in MMA at age 47.

Walker said he has 4% body fat and is currently at about 216 pounds and needs to get bigger. He said he will adjust based on how things go with the first fight on if he will look into a weight cut in future fights or if he needs to bulk up to remain a MMA heavyweight.

Tags: herschel walker espn, herschel walker mma, herschel walker strikeforce, herschel walker vs greg nagy, walker vs nagy
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Anderson Silva’s return, Brock Lesnar will be back, James Toney to MMA?

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

MMA Update – 1-13-2010

Anderson Silva- It appears the Spider will return to action atop the UFC 112 fight card where he will face Vitor Belfort. UFC 112 will be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Belfort vs. Silva will be a tremendous match-up of two very quick strikers. The difference will be Silva’s legs and length as the Spider will continue his reign.

Brock Lesnar- As reported here first, Brock Lesnar is likely to return in the very near future. Our sources lead us to believe Lesnar will return in the June-July time frame. However, on Inside MMA Randy Couture stated he has spoken with Brock and expects him back in the spring. Either way the winner of Shane Carwin-Frank Mir will have their hands full when the Champ returns.

Gray Maynard- The Bully squeaked out a victory over Nate Diaz but looked worse for wear following the bout. Maynard had difficulties dealing with the reach of Diaz and didn’t want any part of the Jiu-Jitsu practitioner on the ground. Many speculate Maynard’s victory earns him a shot at BJ Penn but there is no way he is ready for the caliber of The Prodigy.

Herschel Walker- The former NFL star is making the media tour including appearances on Fox and Friends and The Howard Stern Show. Can Walker make an impact? For the latest Strikeforce news be sure to check out ProFighting-fans.com.

James Toney- According to Inside MMA the former boxing champion is in discussion with Dana White about the possibility of competing in the UFC. Toney, 41, compiled a career record of 72-6-3 with titles in multiple weight divisions. Can Toney compete in the UFC? At the very least he will have a punchers chance.

UFC 109- Two Hall-of-Famers will do battle in Las Vegas on February 6th when Mark Coleman battles Randy Couture. This is a match-up that could have happened long ago but circumstances didn’t allow it. Now, fans will get to see the two legends do battle. As they both have done throughout their careers, Coleman and Couture will look to defy the odds once again in pursuit of a Light Heavyweight Title shot. Don’t miss our UFC 109 predictions to see what to expect at this Las Vegas event.

For coverage of all things MMA, visit ProFighting-fans.com.

Scott Dryden, Editor-in-Chief

Tags: anderson silva vs vitor belfort, brock lesnar injury, brock lesnar update, james toney mma, silva vs belfort, ufc 109 predictions
Posted in Boxing, MMA General, Strikeforce, UFC, UFC Rumors | Comments Off

Brock Lesnar Update, Maynard looking for a title shot, Zaromskis vs. Diaz and Georges St. Pierre looks for a challenge

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

MMA News Update – January 7, 2010

Brock Lesnar- Its official- Brock Lesnar’s title will be up for grabs in an interim basis as Shane Carwin will battle Frank Mir at UFC 111. The winner will likely face Brock in the July/August time frame. What will happen? Visit ProFighting-fans.com for a complete preview of UFC 111 once the event draws near as well as the UFC 111 results.

Din Thomas- The Former UFC veteran recently signed with up and coming promotion-Shine Fights. Thomas, who has wins over the likes of Matt Serra, Jens Pulver and Clay Guida, will face boxing great Ricardo Mayorga in March.

Gray Maynard- The 155lb powerhouse will take on Nate Diaz at The Ultimate Fight Night this Monday. With a victory, the Bully may earn a shot at the UFC Lightweight Champion, BJ Penn.

Marius Zaromskis- The Whitemare comes to US soil where he will face the talented Nick Diaz at Strikeforce: Miami. The Lithuanian holds a career record of 13-3 but hasn’t faced anyone close to the caliber of Diaz. On January 30th the world will see how good Marius really is.

Georges St. Pierre- The Welterweight division has been the GSP invitational since “Rush” regained the title in April of 2008 at UFC 83. Fans speculated the only possible challenge would come from the UK. That will be the case at UFC 111 in the form of the Outlaw Dan Hardy. Hardy will bring punching power and bravado to the contest but will not have the strength to fend off GSP. The fans are correct, GSP’s biggest challenge resides in the UK; however, his name is Paul Daley.

For the latest MMA news be sure to visit Pro Fighting Fans.

Scott Dryden
Editor-in-Chief, ProFighting-fans.com

Tags: brock lesnar injury, brock lesnar update, strikeforce miami, ufc 111, ufc fight night
Posted in MMA General, Strikeforce, UFC | Comments Off

Brock’s Return, the Demise of Cung Le, Rich Franklin Rumors, Fedor and Henderson slated for April

Monday, December 21st, 2009

MMA Update – December 21, 2009

Brock Lesnar- It appears that Frank Mir will battle Shane Carwin for the UFC’s “interim” Heavyweight title in March. Many are speculating that Lesnar will be out for an extended period of time or his career may be over, but from what I’m hearing that isn’t the case. Look for Brock to be back in the cage to face the winner of Mir/Carwin in the July/August time frame.

Cung Le- The legendary kick boxer dominated Scott Smith for the first two rounds and was well on his way in the 3rd when Smith landed a big punch. Smith, known for his comeback wins, pulled out another shocker via TKO due to strikes. What is next for Le? If he devotes himself entirely to the sport he could still be a very good champion.

Dan Henderson- One of the sport’s biggest stars will make his Strikeforce debut in April 2009 on CBS. It’s possible Henderson will battle Jake Shields for the Middleweight Title. If it happens, this would be an interesting match-up. However, Henderson’s overall game would be too much for Shields and he would add to his already impressive resume of titles.

Fedor- The world’s greatest fighter will be in the cage in April in front of a national TV audience on CBS. Fedor could battle Alistair Overeem for the Heavyweight Title or could face Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum.

Gilbert Melendez- Gilbert Melendez took on Josh Thomson for the Strikeforce Lightweight Title at Strikeforce Evolution. It was worth the wait and lived up to the hype. In what might be the fight of the year, both fighters gave everything they had with Melendez clearly winning the fight via a UD. The rubber match should take place in the near future.

Jacare Souza- Jacare started his Strikeforce career with an impressive victory over MMA legend Matt Lindland. Jacare, an impressive specimen, dominated the action forcing Lindland to tap out due to an arm triangle.

Mo Lawal- King Mo will soon be a household name. The King easily dismantled Mike Whitehead showing off his athleticism and charisma. The question is which weight class will King Mo compete? He is a small heavyweight better suited for the light heavyweight division. In either division Lawal will be a factor in Strikeforce’s future.

Rich Franklin- Rich “Ace” Franklin will likely return to the UFC Octagon in March/April of 2010. The former Middleweight Champion will compete in the light heavyweight division. There is plenty of speculation including a bout against Forrest Griffin. More details to follow.

Make www.profighting-fans.com your first stop for accurate and thorough MMA news, previews/reviews and interviews.

Merry Christmas MMA fans,

Scott Dryden
Editor-in-Chief, www.profighting-fans.com

Tags: brock lesnar injury, brock lesnar update, fedor emelianenko strikeforce, strikeforce evolution
Posted in MMA General, Strikeforce, UFC, UFC Rumors | Comments Off

BJ Penn’s Dominance, Brock Lesnar’s Return, Strikeforce on Showtime

Monday, December 14th, 2009

MMA Update – 12-14-09

BJ Penn- With his dominating victory over Diego Sanchez at UFC 107 this past weekend, BJ Penn cemented himself as the greatest lightweight in the history of the sport. Penn left the cage unscathed with title secure in hand and a smile on his face. Who is next for Penn? There isn’t anyone in the UFC lightweight division that can hang with Penn? Given his new conditioning program under Marv Marinovich, Penn may want to step back up to 170lbs and take another shot at GSP.

Brock Lesnar- Brock Lesnar was mentioned several times by Frank Mir leading up to UFC 107. Mir stated he wants to destroy Lesnar and once again become the UFC Heavyweight Champion. Look for Brock Lesnar to return to the cage in mid 2010 where he will first face Shane Carwin. Mir is likely the first in line to challenge the winner.

Strikeforce- Strikeforce Evolution is on Showtime this Saturday December 19th. The event features Cung Le’s return to the cage where he will face striker Scott Smith. Le will have his hands full with the heavy-handed Smith but should make a glorious return. Josh Thomson will finally battle Gilbert Melendez for the Strikeforce Lightweight Title. Since his victory over Melendez, Thomson has had a bevy of injuries. This should be a classic with both combatants having much to prove. Matt Lindland will battle the dangerous Jacare Souza while Mo Lawal and Antwain Britt will also be competing.

UFC- The UFC finished up two very successful weekends with BJ Penn retaining his title over Diego Sanchez. Frank Mir throttled Cheick Kongo in quick fashion. Mir landed a solid shot knocking Kongo to the ground where he grabbed a guillotine choke which resulted in Kongo passing out. The bulked up Mir looked very impressive as his sole desire is to get another shot at UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. Kenny Florian finished Clay Guida in impressive fashion landing several strikes before gaining the victory via tapout due to a RNC.

For a preview and recap of UFC 107 and Strikeforce Evolution coverage visit www.profighting-fans.com

Scott Dryden
Editor-in-Chief, profighting-fans.com

Tags: brock lesnar, brock lesnar injury, brock lesnar update, brock lesnar vs frank mir, strikeforce evolution, ufc 107
Posted in MMA General, Strikeforce, UFC, UFC Rumors | Comments Off

Strikeforce Signs Henderson, Rampage is back, Kimbo’s Performance and Tito vs. Chuck Once Again

Monday, December 7th, 2009

MMA Update

December 7th

Dan Henderson- Strikeforce pulled off another coup signing legend Dan Henderson; adding to an already impressive roster. Henderson was in contract negotiations with the UFC hinting at the possibility of signing with Strikeforce; few believed it would happen. Dan was unhappy with the structure of the UFC contract and finally pulled the trigger. Many expected Henderson to be the next in line for a title shot against Anderson Silva but rumors persisted that Belfort would get the next shot. No doubt this also played in Hendo’s decision. With Dan on board this sets up a likely title shot between Henderson and Gegard Mousasi at 205lbs or a shot against Jake Shields at 185lbs.

Read the Strikeforce signs Dan Henderson press release.

Rampage Jackson- According to his blog Jackson has already ended what was a very brief retirement. Jackson is still a major factor in the light heavyweight division and a major draw. It’s possible Rampage will face the winner of Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva.

Strikeforce- Henderson wasn’t the only signing by the fast rising organization, they also signed KJ Noons and Melvin Manhoef. Noons is an elite fighter who will quickly be in line for a shot at the winner of Melendez/Thompson. Manhoef is 23-6-1 holding a victory over MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba.

The Ultimate Fighter Finale- Roy “Big Country” Nelson pulled off another victory, this time on his feet. Nelson connected with a KO blow to the side of the head of Brendan Schaub. With the victory Nelson won the six figure contract and will be a factor in the heavyweight division. Kimbo Slice looked much improved in his victory over Houston Alexander. If Slice stays with American Top Team he will continue to improve his overall game and will be a legitimate mixed-martial artist. Jon “Bones” Jones dominated Matt Hamill throughout the contest. Jones took the mount and unleashed a fury on The Hammer. In most fights referee Steve Mazagatti would have stopped it but he allowed Jones to pummel Matt. Finally Jones landed illegal elbows which stopped the fight and gave The Hammer the victory via DQ. No doubt Jones was the better man in this fight and will be a major player in the light heavyweight division.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 11- UFC President Dana White announced that Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell will be the coaches on The Ultimate Fighter Season 11. The two will battle once again following the season.

UFC 107- BJ Penn will defend his title against Diego Sanchez on December 12th. This fight has the making of an all-time classic. Penn is the greatest lightweight in the history of the sport and Sanchez is a very formidable opponent. Be sure to check out the UFC 107 predictions and UFC 107 results online here at ProFighting-fans.com.

For everything MMA including previews/recaps and live results visit www.profighting-fans.com