Oct

29

By: James Denly

As all MMA fans are aware of by now Elite XC has officially went out of business.  This took place soon after their star fighter Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson was knocked out in 14 seconds by light heavyweight fighter and TUF alumni Seth Petruzelli.  On top of that, there were accusations that the higher ups in Elite XC told Petruzelli to keep the fight standing.  Most MMA fans were more than thrilled to hear the news of the company’s demise.  The happiest one of all had to be UFC President Dana White, who dedicated a video blog to ranting and raving about how good the news was to hear.  Now that Elite XC is no more that leaves a whole stable of fighters now available as free agents.  There are plenty of stars in this talent pool and plenty of big fights out there to be made and I’m sure the UFC will be soon adding to their roster.

For starters, welterweight fighter and former Elite XC Champ Jake Shields would be a perfect addition to any promotion’s roster.  This Cesar Gracie trained fighter has an amazing ground game and a big enough name to draw in more pay per view sales.  A fight between him and Georges St. Pierre or BJ Penn would be a block buster match.  Another big name on the market is Nick Diaz.  This BJJ black belt is an unbelievable young talent with both great ground skills and solid striking.  Diaz’s brash attitude is also very marketable.  Former Elite XC Middleweight Champ “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler is another fighter that could really shake things in the middleweight division.  Lawler is a good wrestler and awesome knockout power.  He’s extremely emotional during his fights and is very exciting to watch.  These are three fighters that the UFC will definitely be looking to acquire as soon as possible.

With these fighters definitely on the UFC’s radar, there are a few fighters that might be wondering what their futures might hold.  First off, what will happen to the female division?  Dana White has already said that he will not bring in a women’s division into the UFC.  This is unfortunate because the female fights tend to steal the show and because now we’ll have to wait for the much anticipated bout between Cristiane Cyborg and Gina Carano.  The other question is what’s next for Kimbo Slice?  Dana White has slammed Kimbo in the past and surely has no intent on bringing him into the heavyweight mix.  Unfortunately for Kimbo, his aura went away with his last performance.  Who knows what is next for all of these fighters.  Only time will tell.

Elite XC’s Extinction = Plenty of Free Agents

Oct

23

Here is the latest in a long line of kick ass offerings from comrad101.

Art of Carnage (video)

Oct

15

By: James Denly

A fight that has been in the works for quite some time and is considered by many MMA fans as a dream match has officially been signed.  Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski will take on Fedor Emelianenko for the WAMMA Heavyweight Championship.  This bout is scheduled as the main event for Affliction MMA’s second show called “Day of Reckoning”, which will take place sometime in January of 2009.  Arlovski and Emelianenko are without question two of the most exciting heavyweights in all of MMA today.  This fight should be nothing short of spectacular and filled with plenty of fireworks.

Arlovski is coming off of a knockout victory over former IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy “Big Country” Nelson at Elite XC “Heat” last Saturday night.  He is considered to be one of MMA’s most feared heavyweight strikers.  Arlovski is no slouch on the ground either.  The former UFC Heavyweight Champ has a background in Sambo and has shown his submission skills in the past.  Arlovski is a true force in the Heavyweight division.

Arlovski’s opponent however, is considered by many as the greatest heavyweight in the history of MMA.  Fedor Emelianenko is a multiple time World Sambo Champion.  He has only been defeated once in 29 MMA bouts.  Fedor is also the last man to hold the Pride FC Heavyweight Championship.  He has vicious knockout power in both hands and also possesses unbelievable submission skills.  Fedor is coming off of a submission victory over former UFC Heavyweight Champ Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia in July at Affliction’s debut event to claim the WAMMA belt.  Right now, there is no question that Fedor Emelianenko is the most feared heavyweight in all of MMA.

This is a fight that die-hard MMA fans have been waiting a long time to see take place.  These two warriors always have exciting fights and are both known for finishing their opponents in brutal fashion.  The question is will Arlovski finally destroy the aura that surrounds Fedor, or will “The Last Emperor” add another big name to his already large and illustrious list of victims?  I am truly excited for this bout and cannot wait to see who comes out on top.

Arlovski/Emelianenko Fight Made Official

Sep

26

As the editor of MMA Bulletin I’m very pleased to announce the addition of Steven Cha to our ever-growing team of writers and MMA addicts. Steven has trained at Renzo Gracie’s academy in NYC along with Fight House. He currently trains at Daddis MMA and also wrestled at Rutgers University where Frankie Edgar is currently assistant coach.

You can look forward to interviews by Steven with top fighters from the UFC, Dream and EliteXC soon.

As always if you would like to apply to write for MMA Bulletin or feel you have something to contribute then send email to the editor@mmabulletin.com

MMA Bulletin Welcomes Steven Cha

Sep

25

By: James Denly

We are now a little over a week away from Elite XC’s next live event on CBS airing October 4th.  The main event will feature a heavyweight bout between Elite XC’s poster child Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson and “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock.  Kimbo is coming off of a controversial TKO win over James Thompson in May.  While the 44 year old Shamrock has lost his last 5 fights by KO.  His last win was a TKO victory over Kimo Leopoldo at UFC 48 in June of 2004.  Although this looks like Elite XC is just spoon feeding another opponent for Kimbo to destroy, Shamrock will be the most credible fighter that Kimbo has faced yet, even though he hasn’t won a fight in over 4 years.  Although way past his prime at the ripe age of 44, Shamrock still poses some big challenges and can truly give Kimbo a run for his money.  Let’s break down each of these fighters’ strengths and weaknesses.

Let’s start off with Kimbo Slice.  Kimbo is well known for his street fights that have been posted up on youtube.com.  Although he is still very new to the sport of MMA, Kimbo still brings a few tools to the table that can make him a threat in this fight.  First off, he will definitely have advantage of strength in this fight.  Kimbo is an incredibly powerful man and has awesome vicious knockout power in both hands.   If he can connect with one of his punches it could be a short night for Shamrock.  Another big factor is that Kimbo is a lot younger than Shamrock.  Shamrock can’t move like he used to and Kimbo is still relatively young and agile.  Kimbo needs to put a lot of pressure on Ken and make him wilt.  The other big strength for Kimbo is his corner.  Training under a legend like Bas Rutten increases anyone’s chances of winning.  Now let’s look at Kimbo’s weaknesses.  The first big disadvantage is Kimbo’s lack of technique.  Kimbo is primarily a brawler and if Ken makes this a technical bout, it could be a rough night for Kimbo.  Another problem with Kimbo is his ground game.  Shamrock is a ground specialist and Kimbo didn’t look to impressive on the ground in his last fight.  Lastly, Kimbo’s stamina could be a big factor.  In his 3 fights Kimbo has only gone past the first round once.  In his fight with James Thompson, the fight went into the third round and Kimbo was drained.  If this fight goes into the later rounds, Kimbo could be in some trouble.

Now, let’s take a look at Ken Shamrock.  Shamrock is a UFC Hall of Famer and MMA legend.  He has also defeated some of the greats such as Dan Severn, Bas Rutten, and Maurice Smith.  Even though he hasn’t won a fight in over 4 years, Shamrock can still be a danger to Kimbo in this fight.  For starters, Ken will definitely have the experience factor.  He has been through some tough battles in the past and knows what it takes to win.  Kimbo is still a new comer and if he makes a mistake, Shamrock can easily make him pay.  The other big strength for Shamrock is his technique.  He needs to make this a technical bout where he can pick Kimbo apart.  Finally, Shamrock’s ground game is far superior to Kimbo’s.  Shamrock has won most of his fights by submission and should look to do the same here.  However, he does have some weaknesses as well.  First off is his age.  Shamrock is way out of his prime and has taken a lot of damage over the years.  Who knows how physically well prepared he will be for this fight.  Another weakness is his chin.  Kimbo packs a lot of power in those hands and Shamrock’s last 5 fights ended with him being knocked out.  Finally, his biggest disadvantage in my opinion is his ego.  Ken tends to go out and try to prove something in his fights and he tends to not fight the smart fight.  Ken needs to be smart about this fight and make it a technical bout.  If he goes out there and tries to prove something by slugging it out with Kimbo, it could end very quickly and very bad for Shamrock.

This fight has a lot riding on the line for both fighters.  For Kimbo, this fight proves that he can actually be a fighter with some credibility and that he’s not some side show attraction.  For Shamrock, this truly is a make or break fight.  Not many people can come back from losing 6 fights in a row.  Plus what will this fight do for his legacy?  This fight may not have as much star appeal as true MMA fans would like to see, but it will still be interesting.  I’m leaning slightly towards Kimbo in this one, but don’t count out Shamrock.  Either way, by the end of the night we’ll know one thing.  Either Kimbo is the real deal (sort of), or Shamrock still has what it takes.  It should be fun to watch.

Breakdown of Shamrock vs Slice

Sep

24

By Steve Cha

Unfortunately for mma fans, it seems that the Wanderlei “Axe Murderer” Silva and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson fight has been scrapped from the UFC 91 card. Kevin Iole, sportswriter for Yahoo sports, has reported that it is a “very fluid situation” but that a reliable source has confirmed that the most likely date for the fight is now Jan. 31 on the UFC 93 SuperBowl weekend card.

UFC 93 is currently headlined by a super fight between UFC light heavyweight champion BJ Penn and UFC welterweight champion George St Pierre. Wanderlei Silva, who currently trains at Extreme Couture, picked up his first UFC victory against journeyman Keith Jardine via vicious knockout 0:36 seconds in the first round. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson recently signed with London base gym Wolfslair. Jackson had put together a training camp to prepare for the Nov. 15th, UFC 91 fight. Jackson’s legal troubles and current situation with long time trainer/mentor Juanito Ibarra could explain the later date.

Please send hate mail and fan mail to stevecha@gmail.com

Quinton Rampage Jackson vs Wanderlei Silva Bout Tentatively Set For Jan. 31st at UFC 93


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