PRIDE Fighting Championships

By Colonel Balz AS reported by MMA Junkie: Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (22-6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has left the UFC and signed with a new fight promotion called DREAM, it was announced today at a press conference in Japan. The new organization was founded by the Fight Entertainment Group, which is the parent company of the successful K-1 promotion, and former executives of the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships, which was bought out and dismantled by the UFC’s parent company a year ago. However, during press events for UFC 81 earlier this month, UFC President Dana White said that Filipovic and his camp hadn’t been in contact with the organization. White said he was forced to implement a Feb. 4 deadline for the fighter to confirm whether or not he would be cont...   [read the full post]

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By Colonel Balz The 31-year-old Emelianenko is undefeated in 24 fights (including a no contest against former PRIDE champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in 2004). Couture, 13 years the Russian Sambo champion’s senior, has chiseled his name into the history book’s pages by conquering more than a handful of bouts he was never meant to win. Emelianenko, who will fight for the M-1 Global promotion in the U.S. as early as April, is as patient as Couture. Emelianenko’s representatives, Vadim Finkelstein and Apy Echteld, met with UFC president Dana White last summer but opted not to sign with the organization because, among other concerns, it restricted their client’s ability to compete in Sambo events in his downtime.   [read the full post]

By Colonel Balz Sokoudjou has trained with Team Quest who has brought us the CAN and Matt Lindland. Sokudjou also helped PRIDE Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder Dan Henderson prepare for a 2004 title defense against Kazuhiro Nakamura. Sokoudjou has knocked out heavyweights such as Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona. Rameau who is also known as the "The African Assassin" is making his UFC debut at UFC® 79 NEMESIS. The match pits Rameau Sokoudjou 4-1-0 vs. Lyoto Machida who is 11-0-0. Here is the Assassin knocking out NOG. Here is an article from Yahoo Sports on the up and coming star.   [read the full post]

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By Greg Clark ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® PRESENTS UFC 80: RAPID FIRE UFC® ALSO: HEAVYWEIGHT FEATURE GABRIEL “NAPAO” GONZAGA vs. FABRICIO WERDUM Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Hawaiian superstar BJ Penn has waited six years for another shot at the lightweight title that eluded him in 2002. On January 19, 2008, at the Metro Arena in Newcastle, England, “The Prodigy” finally gets his chance for redemption when he challenges Joe “Daddy” Stevenson for the Interim World Lightweight Championship at UFC 80: RAPID FIRE. Also featured on this star-studded card, which was made official today by the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization, is a heavyweight showdown between top contenders Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga and Fabricio Werdum.   [read the full post]

By Greg Clark With the news that Anderson Silva is quite comfortable fighting in the Light Heavyweight division brings new hope for the fans of Silva and MMA alike in that, we may very well see a concurrent UFC title holder of two weight classes. The only human to accomplish such a feat is Dan "Hollywood" Henderson when he knocked out Wanderlei Silva for the Pride FC Middleweight title at Pride 33 in February of this year to compliment his existing Pride FC Welterweight belt. Is it possible for Silva to jump up to 205 at a time when the UFC Middleweight division is in such disarry with the dismantling of Franklin (Ranked #2 Middleweight in the UFC) and now the loss of Yushin Okami who was not granted a contract extension by the UFC brass?   [read the full post]