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Former Strikeforce women's bantamweight champ Miesha Tate tweeted on Oct. 8 that she isn't worried about Strikeforce closing up shop.
Since 2006, Strikeforce has been the premier destination for women's mixed martial arts, and some MMA fans are concerned about the female fighters now that questions are circulating about the promotion's future.
Tate, 26, doesn't seem too concerned about Strikeforce shutting down. "No way!" Tate tweeted, when asked by a fan if she was worried. "When one door closes another door opens, I'm not worried at all. @UFC here we come😡 @josephdiano77."
On Oct. 8, a report surfaced that Strikeforce may be shutting down.
"'Inside MMA' has heard from multiple sources that the relationship between Strikeforce and Showtime may be coming to an end," the report stated. "We are being told that the November 3 event is in serious jeopardy, and there's a strong possibility that Showtime will no longer broadcast Strikeforce events. This could very possibly signify the end of the Strikeforce brand. Strikeforce was purchased by Zuffa in March of 2011. We have yet to receive any word from either Showtime or Strikeforce as this development continues."
Miesha Tate responds to reports of Strikeforce disbanding - Long Island MMA | Examiner-com
Since 2006, Strikeforce has been the premier destination for women's mixed martial arts, and some MMA fans are concerned about the female fighters now that questions are circulating about the promotion's future.
Tate, 26, doesn't seem too concerned about Strikeforce shutting down. "No way!" Tate tweeted, when asked by a fan if she was worried. "When one door closes another door opens, I'm not worried at all. @UFC here we come😡 @josephdiano77."
On Oct. 8, a report surfaced that Strikeforce may be shutting down.
"'Inside MMA' has heard from multiple sources that the relationship between Strikeforce and Showtime may be coming to an end," the report stated. "We are being told that the November 3 event is in serious jeopardy, and there's a strong possibility that Showtime will no longer broadcast Strikeforce events. This could very possibly signify the end of the Strikeforce brand. Strikeforce was purchased by Zuffa in March of 2011. We have yet to receive any word from either Showtime or Strikeforce as this development continues."
Miesha Tate responds to reports of Strikeforce disbanding - Long Island MMA | Examiner-com
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The sport, which mixes martial arts, wrestling and boxing in a cage, continues to grow nationwide and North Platte fighters are working towards making the D&N Event Center a home to regional shows. "We will have between 10 and 12 fights," said card promoter Kelly Wiseman. "It's a fight card, so things can change."
Doors open at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the D&N Event Center for Disorderly Conduct presents NP Warriors. The first fight is set for 7 p.m.
"We hope to be done by 11 to 11:30 p.m.," Wiseman said. "That will depend on how fast the fights go."
The card features seven amateur fights and three professional fights. The main event is a super heavyweight bout between Rob Mitchell of North Platte and Brad Scholten of Sioux City, Iowa. Mitchell enters the fight 7-2, while Scholten is 26-18.
The other professional fights feature Scott Swanson (0-3) of North Platte battling Justin Grizzard (8-17) of Omaha in a heavyweight fight and Darrick Minner of Nebraska City making his pro debut in a 135-pound match. Minner, who had an 8-2 amateur record will take on Dominic Blanco of Scottsbluff. Blanco is currently 2-4 in pro fights.
"We'll also have a female match," Wiseman said. "Mercedes Timmerman of North Platte, who is 1-0 in amateur fights, takes on Jessica Campbell of Casper, Wyoming."
Campbell is making her cage debut.
There will also be an amateur title fight as Jason Jensen of North Platte, who is 5-1, battles Jesus Sandoval (3-1-1) for the 185-pound amateur title.
There are five other fights. They are: Chris Pavlik of North Platte (0-2) taking on Paul McErlane of Tecamah, Neb. (1-3) at 175 pounds; Ryan MacDonald of North Platte (1-1) battling Clayton Lemmer of Grand Island (0-0) at 140 pounds; Eric Meachem of North Platte (0-0) facing Grant Dawson of York (1-1) at 155 pounds; Mark Hooper of North Platte (1-0) going against Rolando Gonzalez of Kearney (1-1) at 145 pounds; and Jordan Vigil of North Platte (1-1) squaring off against Ronald Reynoso of Kearney (0-0) at 170 pounds.
Four of the amateur fighters and one pro train with Brad Garrick of North Platte, who recently became the Wyoming 170-pound champion with a first round submission,
"I submitted the guy in 2 minutes of the first round," Garrick said. "He submitted to a guillotine choke hold. I got him in four guillotines and he broke out of the first three, but not the fourth.
"I guess it was a good win, since I didn't get hit in the face. Anytime you can win and not get hit in the face, it's a good fight."
Heavyweight fighter Swanson is the striking coach for Garrick's team.
"He's ready," Garrick said. "He hasn't fought for a few years, but he's ready.
"Before the title fight, I hadn't fought for seven years. It's a lot different now than it was when I was younger and I think the same thing will hold true for Scott.
"It's going to be a good night for the team, for the North Platte fighters and hopefully for MMA in the area."
MMA fights return to city - North Platte Nebraska's Newspaper: Local Sports
Doors open at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the D&N Event Center for Disorderly Conduct presents NP Warriors. The first fight is set for 7 p.m.
"We hope to be done by 11 to 11:30 p.m.," Wiseman said. "That will depend on how fast the fights go."
The card features seven amateur fights and three professional fights. The main event is a super heavyweight bout between Rob Mitchell of North Platte and Brad Scholten of Sioux City, Iowa. Mitchell enters the fight 7-2, while Scholten is 26-18.
The other professional fights feature Scott Swanson (0-3) of North Platte battling Justin Grizzard (8-17) of Omaha in a heavyweight fight and Darrick Minner of Nebraska City making his pro debut in a 135-pound match. Minner, who had an 8-2 amateur record will take on Dominic Blanco of Scottsbluff. Blanco is currently 2-4 in pro fights.
"We'll also have a female match," Wiseman said. "Mercedes Timmerman of North Platte, who is 1-0 in amateur fights, takes on Jessica Campbell of Casper, Wyoming."
Campbell is making her cage debut.
There will also be an amateur title fight as Jason Jensen of North Platte, who is 5-1, battles Jesus Sandoval (3-1-1) for the 185-pound amateur title.
There are five other fights. They are: Chris Pavlik of North Platte (0-2) taking on Paul McErlane of Tecamah, Neb. (1-3) at 175 pounds; Ryan MacDonald of North Platte (1-1) battling Clayton Lemmer of Grand Island (0-0) at 140 pounds; Eric Meachem of North Platte (0-0) facing Grant Dawson of York (1-1) at 155 pounds; Mark Hooper of North Platte (1-0) going against Rolando Gonzalez of Kearney (1-1) at 145 pounds; and Jordan Vigil of North Platte (1-1) squaring off against Ronald Reynoso of Kearney (0-0) at 170 pounds.
Four of the amateur fighters and one pro train with Brad Garrick of North Platte, who recently became the Wyoming 170-pound champion with a first round submission,
"I submitted the guy in 2 minutes of the first round," Garrick said. "He submitted to a guillotine choke hold. I got him in four guillotines and he broke out of the first three, but not the fourth.
"I guess it was a good win, since I didn't get hit in the face. Anytime you can win and not get hit in the face, it's a good fight."
Heavyweight fighter Swanson is the striking coach for Garrick's team.
"He's ready," Garrick said. "He hasn't fought for a few years, but he's ready.
"Before the title fight, I hadn't fought for seven years. It's a lot different now than it was when I was younger and I think the same thing will hold true for Scott.
"It's going to be a good night for the team, for the North Platte fighters and hopefully for MMA in the area."
MMA fights return to city - North Platte Nebraska's Newspaper: Local Sports
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Much has already been written about the injuries and withdrawals that currently plague the UFC. Fewer column inches, however, have been dedicated to discussing the cause of these afflictions.
I previously argued that health insurance has played a fairly prominent role in the recent rash of withdrawals, but this fails to explain the injuries that precede fighters pulling out.
What is it that makes mixed martial artists so susceptible to injury? Either they have been cursed with an inherent fragility, or their issues relate to flawed training methods.
Your average MMA fighter is no more brittle than your average boxer. The difference lies in how each prepares for a fight.
While boxers focus relentlessly on honing their hand skills, the mixed martial artist engages in a more eclectic approach, refining their grappling and the art of eight limbs.
So few boxers withdraw from contracted bouts—relatively speaking—that one can deduce that striking very likely isn’t the major source of injuries. Rather, the most notable difference between the two sports is that MMA requires grappling.
Fights occasionally fall through due to cuts, but grappling injuries appear to be the sport’s greatest saboteur. We so often hear about fighters blowing out knees or injuring their shoulders as the result of an overly-enthusiastic wrestling session.
This points to a related issue, which is indicative of particularly counter-productive mind-set that is almost systemically pervasive at this point: many athletes within the sport of MMA believe that one must train as one means to fight.
Just consider that point for a moment.
Many of these athletes are fighting at full pelt almost every day for six to eight weeks. Is it any wonder that they so frequently get injured?
If you believe that this mindset isn’t a mainstream notion within the sport, I would urge you watch this clip. Some of the sport’s biggest stars, including Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping, discuss this suicidal approach to training.
Given how open fighters are about engaging in training methods that are so obviously flawed, it is astonishing that Dana White has not yet sought a solution. Admittedly, that is easier said than done.
How exactly do you police the way that a fighter trains?
The short answer is that you can’t.
Instead, it seems like incentives should be offered to those who manage to maintain a clean bill of health or fulfill their contracts.
Those who routinely fail to show up to agreed bouts needn’t be punished, but the fighters who demonstrate their reliability most certainly should be rewarded. Their ability to effectively manage risk in training is something that the UFC must attempt to spread to its other fighters.
Show up to all of your contracted fights in a calendar year? Here’s a little Christmas bonus from Uncle Dana.
Rest assured, if the UFC sufficiently rewards good risk management, fighters in training might think twice about putting all their body weight behind the next power double they attempt or cranking on the next armbar they secure.
Until fighters are encouraged to better manage risk in training, we can expect to see this injury trend continue for the foreseeable future.
MMA: Are Fighters Just Bad at Risk Management in Training? | Bleacher Report
I previously argued that health insurance has played a fairly prominent role in the recent rash of withdrawals, but this fails to explain the injuries that precede fighters pulling out.
What is it that makes mixed martial artists so susceptible to injury? Either they have been cursed with an inherent fragility, or their issues relate to flawed training methods.
Your average MMA fighter is no more brittle than your average boxer. The difference lies in how each prepares for a fight.
While boxers focus relentlessly on honing their hand skills, the mixed martial artist engages in a more eclectic approach, refining their grappling and the art of eight limbs.
So few boxers withdraw from contracted bouts—relatively speaking—that one can deduce that striking very likely isn’t the major source of injuries. Rather, the most notable difference between the two sports is that MMA requires grappling.
Fights occasionally fall through due to cuts, but grappling injuries appear to be the sport’s greatest saboteur. We so often hear about fighters blowing out knees or injuring their shoulders as the result of an overly-enthusiastic wrestling session.
This points to a related issue, which is indicative of particularly counter-productive mind-set that is almost systemically pervasive at this point: many athletes within the sport of MMA believe that one must train as one means to fight.
Just consider that point for a moment.
Many of these athletes are fighting at full pelt almost every day for six to eight weeks. Is it any wonder that they so frequently get injured?
If you believe that this mindset isn’t a mainstream notion within the sport, I would urge you watch this clip. Some of the sport’s biggest stars, including Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping, discuss this suicidal approach to training.
Given how open fighters are about engaging in training methods that are so obviously flawed, it is astonishing that Dana White has not yet sought a solution. Admittedly, that is easier said than done.
How exactly do you police the way that a fighter trains?
The short answer is that you can’t.
Instead, it seems like incentives should be offered to those who manage to maintain a clean bill of health or fulfill their contracts.
Those who routinely fail to show up to agreed bouts needn’t be punished, but the fighters who demonstrate their reliability most certainly should be rewarded. Their ability to effectively manage risk in training is something that the UFC must attempt to spread to its other fighters.
Show up to all of your contracted fights in a calendar year? Here’s a little Christmas bonus from Uncle Dana.
Rest assured, if the UFC sufficiently rewards good risk management, fighters in training might think twice about putting all their body weight behind the next power double they attempt or cranking on the next armbar they secure.
Until fighters are encouraged to better manage risk in training, we can expect to see this injury trend continue for the foreseeable future.
MMA: Are Fighters Just Bad at Risk Management in Training? | Bleacher Report
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Okay, it’s not an absolute certainty that Eddie Alvarez is absolutely, certainly heading to the UFC now that his contract with Bellator is up. But it’s almost certain, or at least as certain as these things can be. Alvarez loves Bellator and Bellator loves him, but he wants a chance to compete against the best lightweights in the world, and he doesn’t want to have to participate in a grueling tournament in order to do so.
Alvarez entered free agency in the best way possible at Bellator 76 in Canada tonight, knocking out Patricky “Pitbull” Friere in one of the best one-round fights of 2012. Seriously, it was pretty great, and you should go out of your way to watch it.
Alvarez started off the festivities by knocking Pitbull on his back, out cold…or perhaps not, because Pitbull suddenly sprang to his feet—while Alvarez was attempting to finish him, mind you—and drilled Alvarez in the jaw, sending him wheeling and spinning around the cage. Pitbull couldn’t finish the job, so we had a few minutes of counterstriking and not much else.
But then Alvarez lowered the boom, near the end of the first, with a perfectly-timed head kick that sent Friere to the mat, completely unconscious.
And so Alvarez will test the free-agency market. But in reality, he’s only heading one place: the UFC. He knows it, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney knows it, and Dana White knows it. The UFC has long coveted Alvarez, and while I have my doubts about him seriously competing with the best lightweights in the sport, he’s at least getting his chance to do it.
Who should he face in his UFC debut, which will likely come in early 2013? How about Anthony Pettis? I mean, that fight is pretty awesome and I know I’d love to watch it.
Alvarez likely heads to the UFC with thunderous KO of Pitbull | Brawl Sports | a Chron-com blog
Alvarez entered free agency in the best way possible at Bellator 76 in Canada tonight, knocking out Patricky “Pitbull” Friere in one of the best one-round fights of 2012. Seriously, it was pretty great, and you should go out of your way to watch it.
Alvarez started off the festivities by knocking Pitbull on his back, out cold…or perhaps not, because Pitbull suddenly sprang to his feet—while Alvarez was attempting to finish him, mind you—and drilled Alvarez in the jaw, sending him wheeling and spinning around the cage. Pitbull couldn’t finish the job, so we had a few minutes of counterstriking and not much else.
But then Alvarez lowered the boom, near the end of the first, with a perfectly-timed head kick that sent Friere to the mat, completely unconscious.
And so Alvarez will test the free-agency market. But in reality, he’s only heading one place: the UFC. He knows it, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney knows it, and Dana White knows it. The UFC has long coveted Alvarez, and while I have my doubts about him seriously competing with the best lightweights in the sport, he’s at least getting his chance to do it.
Who should he face in his UFC debut, which will likely come in early 2013? How about Anthony Pettis? I mean, that fight is pretty awesome and I know I’d love to watch it.
Alvarez likely heads to the UFC with thunderous KO of Pitbull | Brawl Sports | a Chron-com blog
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According to the UFC brass, Glover Teixeira is the guy that nobody wants to fight. He has vicious power, black belt ground skills and a limitless engine. At UFC 153, Teixeira did nothing to dispel his believers.
For two rounds, Teixeira brutalized Fabio Maldonado. Somehow, Maldonado was standing at the end of those 10 minutes, but the cageside official had seen enough, and protected him from himself, stopping the fight. The official ruling was a second-round TKO.
"This guy, he's not human," Teixeira said afterward. The rising light heavyweight contender said that prior to the fight, he had told his trainer that he didn't care how tough Maldonado's chin was, he was going to knock him out.
At first, it didn't seem like it would take him long to accomplish that. He knocked Maldonado down early in the first and spent the better part of the next five minutes smashing him with punches and elbows. Midway through the round, his face was bruised. By the end, it was bloodied, too.
But Maldonado showed amazing heart, and actually got back to his feet by the end of the first, stunning Teixeira with a trio of hard left hooks before the closing horn.
Teixeira came back out after the one-minute break and immediately took the fight to the ground, where again, he hammered Maldonado for most of the round, until the cageside official had seen enough.
Teixeira's 17th straight win improved his record to 19-2, and he'll certainly be moving up the division's rankings as a result.
Maldonado fell to 18-6.
UFC 153 results: Glover Teixeira brutalizes Fabio Maldonado - MMA Fighting
For two rounds, Teixeira brutalized Fabio Maldonado. Somehow, Maldonado was standing at the end of those 10 minutes, but the cageside official had seen enough, and protected him from himself, stopping the fight. The official ruling was a second-round TKO.
"This guy, he's not human," Teixeira said afterward. The rising light heavyweight contender said that prior to the fight, he had told his trainer that he didn't care how tough Maldonado's chin was, he was going to knock him out.
At first, it didn't seem like it would take him long to accomplish that. He knocked Maldonado down early in the first and spent the better part of the next five minutes smashing him with punches and elbows. Midway through the round, his face was bruised. By the end, it was bloodied, too.
But Maldonado showed amazing heart, and actually got back to his feet by the end of the first, stunning Teixeira with a trio of hard left hooks before the closing horn.
Teixeira came back out after the one-minute break and immediately took the fight to the ground, where again, he hammered Maldonado for most of the round, until the cageside official had seen enough.
Teixeira's 17th straight win improved his record to 19-2, and he'll certainly be moving up the division's rankings as a result.
Maldonado fell to 18-6.
UFC 153 results: Glover Teixeira brutalizes Fabio Maldonado - MMA Fighting
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Jake Shields will not fight in the UFC again until February next year after being banned for six months for using an illegal substance.
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In a press release, Shields revealed that he failed a drugs test before his UFC 150 win over Ed Herman in Denver, Colorado, in August. He won by unanimous decision.
The illegal substance which has caused Shields's suspension has not been confirmed by the Colorado Boxing Commission. According to state laws in Colorado, the commission does not have to reveal fighters' test results.
"Prior to my professional bout at UFC 150 in Denver, Colorado, I used a substance prohibited by Colorado Boxing Commission rules," the statement said. "This was a mistake that I fully regret. I have shared this issue with my family and the UFC and I have apologized to them and now I also apologize to you, the fans.
"I promise this will never occur again in my fighting career. I accept the Boxing Commission's decision for a six-month suspension, which will expire in February. I ask that you accept my apology. I will be back fighting soon, and hope that the fans of MMA will support me until that time."
In 35 professional fights this is the first time Shields has failed a drugs test.
The 33-year-old trains under Cesar Gracie in California and is a member of the 'Skrap Pack' which includes fellow Gracie students Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez and Dave Terrell.
Earlier this year Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites in a UFC 143 post-fight drug test. He was was suspended for one year and fined 30 per cent of his purse.
Diaz, like Shields, will be able to return to the Octagon in February.
MMA star suspended for drugs | UFC, Main Event, UFC Video, UFC Highlights, UFC on Foxtel | Fox Sports
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In a press release, Shields revealed that he failed a drugs test before his UFC 150 win over Ed Herman in Denver, Colorado, in August. He won by unanimous decision.
The illegal substance which has caused Shields's suspension has not been confirmed by the Colorado Boxing Commission. According to state laws in Colorado, the commission does not have to reveal fighters' test results.
"Prior to my professional bout at UFC 150 in Denver, Colorado, I used a substance prohibited by Colorado Boxing Commission rules," the statement said. "This was a mistake that I fully regret. I have shared this issue with my family and the UFC and I have apologized to them and now I also apologize to you, the fans.
"I promise this will never occur again in my fighting career. I accept the Boxing Commission's decision for a six-month suspension, which will expire in February. I ask that you accept my apology. I will be back fighting soon, and hope that the fans of MMA will support me until that time."
In 35 professional fights this is the first time Shields has failed a drugs test.
The 33-year-old trains under Cesar Gracie in California and is a member of the 'Skrap Pack' which includes fellow Gracie students Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez and Dave Terrell.
Earlier this year Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites in a UFC 143 post-fight drug test. He was was suspended for one year and fined 30 per cent of his purse.
Diaz, like Shields, will be able to return to the Octagon in February.
MMA star suspended for drugs | UFC, Main Event, UFC Video, UFC Highlights, UFC on Foxtel | Fox Sports
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September was a slow month for MMA, but October has already been full of exciting fights that have seen many rise and fall in the rankings.
At UFC 153 Anderson Silva did it again. He proved something that didn't really need proving. That he is the most dominant fighter in UFC history.
Silva's skill set is not the most well-rounded in mixed martial arts, which is important when discussing the pound-for-pound best, and he has been controlled on the ground in many of his fights. So, for a while he was not No. 1 on the pound-for-pound list. But, at this point, it is silly not to have Silva on top.
The UFC middleweight champion is the most dangerous fighter in the sport and he dominates tough, durable fighters outside of his weight class like he did against Stephan Bonnar.
Silva certainly wasn't the only Brazilian to impress at UFC 153, as Demian Maia made the entire welterweight division take note of how dangerous he is. He enters the top-10 at 170 pounds after submitting Rick Story, who had never been finished before, in a phenomenally dominant performance. He is an instant contender and will surely get a big-name opponent his next time out.
Also at UFC 153, Jon Fitch proved he's still one of the best at 170 pounds and showed why Erick Silva still has work to do.
Read More: MMA rankings: Brazilians dominate in October - sportsnet.ca
At UFC 153 Anderson Silva did it again. He proved something that didn't really need proving. That he is the most dominant fighter in UFC history.
Silva's skill set is not the most well-rounded in mixed martial arts, which is important when discussing the pound-for-pound best, and he has been controlled on the ground in many of his fights. So, for a while he was not No. 1 on the pound-for-pound list. But, at this point, it is silly not to have Silva on top.
The UFC middleweight champion is the most dangerous fighter in the sport and he dominates tough, durable fighters outside of his weight class like he did against Stephan Bonnar.
Silva certainly wasn't the only Brazilian to impress at UFC 153, as Demian Maia made the entire welterweight division take note of how dangerous he is. He enters the top-10 at 170 pounds after submitting Rick Story, who had never been finished before, in a phenomenally dominant performance. He is an instant contender and will surely get a big-name opponent his next time out.
Also at UFC 153, Jon Fitch proved he's still one of the best at 170 pounds and showed why Erick Silva still has work to do.
Read More: MMA rankings: Brazilians dominate in October - sportsnet.ca
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It’s a question John DeVall gets asked often and after his first ride on a rollercoaster a year ago, he finally has the answer.
“People always ask me what it is like when you step in the ring,” the professional mixed martial artist from Sioux City said. “Last year, I went on a rollercoaster for the first time and it is like going down that first big drop multiplied by 20 minutes. And you are very sore after.”
DeVall, 27, is back in action Saturday as he is one of the top names on the Extreme Challenge card at the WinnaVegas Casino Resort. It marks the first time that Extreme Challenge has been in the Sioux City area in two years.
MMA is a rapidly-growing sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, from a variety of other combat sports. It has steadily gained popularity nationally, but still struggles at times in and around Sioux City.
DeVall, like many involved in MMA, believes there is potential for the sport to grow and find popularity in Sioux City, but there is still work that must be done to reach that goal.
“It has room for growth because in the past it is here for a short amount of time and then it is gone,” he said.
Nick Rogers, who has been a professional fighter for six years, believes the popularity and growth of the sport lies in the men that climb into the ring to compete.
“In Sioux City, there are a lot of passionate fans that have love for the sport and want to be involved, but there are not enough shows being held in Sioux City,” said Rogers, who is also a columnist for the website siouxfighter-com. “Sioux City needs stars and needs to promote them.
“You need to have someone that would stay here that would have ad dollars invested and build promotions around stars so you would get bigger events. Omaha, for example, has stars and the promotion builds around them. People aren’t going to watch MMA, they are going to watch those fighters fight.”
Chad Bergmeier, the matchmaker for Extreme Challenge, said he heard from several fighters wanting to have an event close to Sioux City before deciding on the 700-seat Sloan venue.
“We used to come (to Sioux City) but I think with the economy going down it became harder, and Sioux City was one of the markets we had to cut,” he said. “The two biggest local stars also left the area, but now (John DeVall) is back.”
The last Extreme Challenge show was a sold-out effort at the Shrine Temple.
Saturday’s 11 bouts have a local feel with Sioux City’s DeVall and Danny Black, Le Mars’ Matt Gabel as well as former UFC champion Tyrone Roberts on a card that is a mixture of professional and amateur fighters.
Safety is always one of the biggest issues for the athletes, but Iowa is one of several states that regulate the sport through the Iowa Athletic Commission.
“The commission has done a good job of making it fighter- and promoter-friendly, and they make sure the rules are followed,” Rogers said. “Just five or six years ago it wasn’t always that way. I might not know who I was fighting three hours before the event.”
Events like Saturday’s will have a ringside doctor, fighters undergo blood tests to make sure no diseases can be spread and Extreme Challenge is medically insured in the event of an injury.
There are a couple of MMA-specific clubs in Sioux City, but the sport’s impact is felt at places such as Johnson’s ATA Black Belt Academy that doesn’t have classes specifically to instruct MMA techniques.
“We teach Gracie Ju-Jitsu and the popularity keeps increasing,” said Ryan Johnson, owner and head instructor at the academy. “We started traditional ju-jitsu five or six years ago and switched to Gracie two years ago. It is proven and it is very self-defense oriented.”
Johnson’s class size has gone from 10 to 50 in two years and he has even expanded the mat space at his business to meet the demand.
“In some ways, it has increased because people are more familiar with the UFC,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of the MMA fighters, but it is gaining popularity.”
MMA still finding footing in Sioux City area
“People always ask me what it is like when you step in the ring,” the professional mixed martial artist from Sioux City said. “Last year, I went on a rollercoaster for the first time and it is like going down that first big drop multiplied by 20 minutes. And you are very sore after.”
DeVall, 27, is back in action Saturday as he is one of the top names on the Extreme Challenge card at the WinnaVegas Casino Resort. It marks the first time that Extreme Challenge has been in the Sioux City area in two years.
MMA is a rapidly-growing sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, from a variety of other combat sports. It has steadily gained popularity nationally, but still struggles at times in and around Sioux City.
DeVall, like many involved in MMA, believes there is potential for the sport to grow and find popularity in Sioux City, but there is still work that must be done to reach that goal.
“It has room for growth because in the past it is here for a short amount of time and then it is gone,” he said.
Nick Rogers, who has been a professional fighter for six years, believes the popularity and growth of the sport lies in the men that climb into the ring to compete.
“In Sioux City, there are a lot of passionate fans that have love for the sport and want to be involved, but there are not enough shows being held in Sioux City,” said Rogers, who is also a columnist for the website siouxfighter-com. “Sioux City needs stars and needs to promote them.
“You need to have someone that would stay here that would have ad dollars invested and build promotions around stars so you would get bigger events. Omaha, for example, has stars and the promotion builds around them. People aren’t going to watch MMA, they are going to watch those fighters fight.”
Chad Bergmeier, the matchmaker for Extreme Challenge, said he heard from several fighters wanting to have an event close to Sioux City before deciding on the 700-seat Sloan venue.
“We used to come (to Sioux City) but I think with the economy going down it became harder, and Sioux City was one of the markets we had to cut,” he said. “The two biggest local stars also left the area, but now (John DeVall) is back.”
The last Extreme Challenge show was a sold-out effort at the Shrine Temple.
Saturday’s 11 bouts have a local feel with Sioux City’s DeVall and Danny Black, Le Mars’ Matt Gabel as well as former UFC champion Tyrone Roberts on a card that is a mixture of professional and amateur fighters.
Safety is always one of the biggest issues for the athletes, but Iowa is one of several states that regulate the sport through the Iowa Athletic Commission.
“The commission has done a good job of making it fighter- and promoter-friendly, and they make sure the rules are followed,” Rogers said. “Just five or six years ago it wasn’t always that way. I might not know who I was fighting three hours before the event.”
Events like Saturday’s will have a ringside doctor, fighters undergo blood tests to make sure no diseases can be spread and Extreme Challenge is medically insured in the event of an injury.
There are a couple of MMA-specific clubs in Sioux City, but the sport’s impact is felt at places such as Johnson’s ATA Black Belt Academy that doesn’t have classes specifically to instruct MMA techniques.
“We teach Gracie Ju-Jitsu and the popularity keeps increasing,” said Ryan Johnson, owner and head instructor at the academy. “We started traditional ju-jitsu five or six years ago and switched to Gracie two years ago. It is proven and it is very self-defense oriented.”
Johnson’s class size has gone from 10 to 50 in two years and he has even expanded the mat space at his business to meet the demand.
“In some ways, it has increased because people are more familiar with the UFC,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of the MMA fighters, but it is gaining popularity.”
MMA still finding footing in Sioux City area
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Mixed martial arts fighter Jeremy Stephens was released from a Des Moines jail today after almost two weeks in custody over a 2011 bar fight in Des Moines that Stephens says he was not involved with.
One of Stephens' representatives, Ryan Hass, posted $20,000 bond to secure his release, according to online court records. A court hearing in the felony assault case is scheduled for Monday. Hass said Stephens was released about 3:30 p.m.
Stephens, 26, a Des Moines native, was arrested in Minnesota on Oct. 5 on a Des Moines warrant for willful injury and assault causing bodily injury. Authorities arrested Stephens, who is a veteran lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, hours before a nationally televised fight, causing him to miss his bout despite the best efforts of fight promoters to see him released.
Des Moines police emphatically denied Hass' allegations that authorities deliberately waited to arrest him until the hours before the fight.
The bar fight in question occurred on Oct. 15, 2011, at Fat Tony’s, 1500 S.E. First St. Stephens and Dustin Bachman, 27, are accused of punching and hitting a man. Bachman is also accused in the case. Stephens' agent contends that his client was not involved in the fight.
www-desmoinesregister-com/article/20121017/NEWS01/121017038/1036/opinion01/?odyssey=nav|head
One of Stephens' representatives, Ryan Hass, posted $20,000 bond to secure his release, according to online court records. A court hearing in the felony assault case is scheduled for Monday. Hass said Stephens was released about 3:30 p.m.
Stephens, 26, a Des Moines native, was arrested in Minnesota on Oct. 5 on a Des Moines warrant for willful injury and assault causing bodily injury. Authorities arrested Stephens, who is a veteran lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, hours before a nationally televised fight, causing him to miss his bout despite the best efforts of fight promoters to see him released.
Des Moines police emphatically denied Hass' allegations that authorities deliberately waited to arrest him until the hours before the fight.
The bar fight in question occurred on Oct. 15, 2011, at Fat Tony’s, 1500 S.E. First St. Stephens and Dustin Bachman, 27, are accused of punching and hitting a man. Bachman is also accused in the case. Stephens' agent contends that his client was not involved in the fight.
www-desmoinesregister-com/article/20121017/NEWS01/121017038/1036/opinion01/?odyssey=nav|head
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Canada's legal definition of prize fighting hasn't been rewritten in nearly 80 years. With a big push from Ultimate Fighting Championship, a change is seemingly imminent.
Bill S-209, an act to amend the Criminal Code definition of prize fighting, was introduced Thursday into the House of Commons in Ottawa. If passed as expected, the change to Section 83 (2) of the code will expand prize fighting to include not just boxing, but also mixed martial arts, which combines jiu jitsu, wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai, judo and other forms of combat.
Since 1934, under strict interpretation of the current law, sanctioned boxing has been considered the only legal form of prize fighting, although every province with an athletic commission allows mixed-martial arts events to occur. Getting the legal wording in the Criminal Code changed, noted UFC's top Canadian official, would eliminate any ambiguity.
Tom Wright, UFC director of Canadians operations, was in Ottawa on Thursday, one of countless trips he's made to the nation's capital over the past two years. While acknowledging that nothing is yet official, he believes the amendment is well on its way to approval.
"We're very confident that we've done our homework. In the end, it's all about making sure that the sport is allowed to grow within a consistent regulatory environment to protect the health and safety of the athlete," Wright said from Ottawa.
The bill was introduced to the Senate in June and passed through three readings there. Now it must pass through two more readings in the House of Commons before receiving royal assent. Wright hopes the second reading will occur in as soon as 30 days, but it could take up to 60 days.
Read more: MMA set to get legal blessing from Ottawa
Bill S-209, an act to amend the Criminal Code definition of prize fighting, was introduced Thursday into the House of Commons in Ottawa. If passed as expected, the change to Section 83 (2) of the code will expand prize fighting to include not just boxing, but also mixed martial arts, which combines jiu jitsu, wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai, judo and other forms of combat.
Since 1934, under strict interpretation of the current law, sanctioned boxing has been considered the only legal form of prize fighting, although every province with an athletic commission allows mixed-martial arts events to occur. Getting the legal wording in the Criminal Code changed, noted UFC's top Canadian official, would eliminate any ambiguity.
Tom Wright, UFC director of Canadians operations, was in Ottawa on Thursday, one of countless trips he's made to the nation's capital over the past two years. While acknowledging that nothing is yet official, he believes the amendment is well on its way to approval.
"We're very confident that we've done our homework. In the end, it's all about making sure that the sport is allowed to grow within a consistent regulatory environment to protect the health and safety of the athlete," Wright said from Ottawa.
The bill was introduced to the Senate in June and passed through three readings there. Now it must pass through two more readings in the House of Commons before receiving royal assent. Wright hopes the second reading will occur in as soon as 30 days, but it could take up to 60 days.
Read more: MMA set to get legal blessing from Ottawa
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IN the absence of the Jamaat-i-Islami, the JUI-F’s decision to revive the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has failed to create much of a splash. This is an altogether new MMA and JUI-F’s need for the alliance could be linked to its ties with the federal government. In the ruling coalition, Maulana Fazl was blamed for aiding the war on terror. Out of it, he was seen as a most friendly opposition. Lately, with one eye on the polls, the other on those seeking to steal his vote, his criticism of the government has become stronger. From the JUI-F’s perspective, as an alliance the MMA would send out the message that the JUI-F is back in the right spot and also facilitate acceptance of the party among at least its core voters.
There is more than one explanation why the JI stayed away from the alliance. One relates to the JUI-F’s being viewed as an ally of the current government while, during the same period, the JI championed many ‘anti-government’ causes. This could be a bigger factor behind the JI’s staying away from the MMA than any disagreement over the selection of MMA office bearers. A more compelling reason can be found in comparing the situation today with the one that led to the MMA’s creation more than a decade ago. When the MMA won the 2002 polls in the then NWFP, the crucial element was the absence of PML-N as a serious contender. It got votes that would have gone to the PML-N had the Sharifs been around. The Sharifs have since returned to stake a strong claim in the province. They have traditionally stayed close to the JI and at a distance from JUI-F. It was thought that the JI would be able to renew its old ties with PML-N, but this did not happen. Instead, the JI was pushed towards PTI, a new entrant which could eat deep into right-wing pockets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Today’s realities dictate that the JI seek a partnership with either the PML-N or PTI for meaningful poll impact not only at the provincial level but also on the national scale.
MMA is reincarnated | DAWN.COM
There is more than one explanation why the JI stayed away from the alliance. One relates to the JUI-F’s being viewed as an ally of the current government while, during the same period, the JI championed many ‘anti-government’ causes. This could be a bigger factor behind the JI’s staying away from the MMA than any disagreement over the selection of MMA office bearers. A more compelling reason can be found in comparing the situation today with the one that led to the MMA’s creation more than a decade ago. When the MMA won the 2002 polls in the then NWFP, the crucial element was the absence of PML-N as a serious contender. It got votes that would have gone to the PML-N had the Sharifs been around. The Sharifs have since returned to stake a strong claim in the province. They have traditionally stayed close to the JI and at a distance from JUI-F. It was thought that the JI would be able to renew its old ties with PML-N, but this did not happen. Instead, the JI was pushed towards PTI, a new entrant which could eat deep into right-wing pockets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Today’s realities dictate that the JI seek a partnership with either the PML-N or PTI for meaningful poll impact not only at the provincial level but also on the national scale.
MMA is reincarnated | DAWN.COM
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The guy behind baseball home run king Barry Bonds’ alleged performance-enhancing drug use thinks MMA has a serious substance problem.
Victor Conte, founder and former president of BALCO, believes that “in the neighborhood of 50 percent” of MMA fighters are using some kind of PEDs, he said this week on UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan’s podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience” (via MMAjunkie-com).
Conte, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute steroids and money laundering in 2005, said BALCO and MMA crossed paths very early on.
"Here's what I was told – I don't want to create more multi-million dollar lawsuits against me, but here's the story that I was told – [former co-worker Patrick Arnold] sold a whole bunch of [tetrahydrogestrinone, also known as ‘The Clear'], like a gallon, to Bob Sapp, K-1 fighter," Conte said. "My understanding is this stuff was all over the NFL. I guess during this time he was out of the NFL, and there was a period of time when he played in the Canadian (Football) League before he went to Japan to do the K-1 fighting, but the point is this stuff was very widely distributed, was my understanding."
Sapp is still competing in MMA, mostly overseas. He has never fought in the UFC.
Conte said in a speech earlier this year at the Association of Ringside Physicians annual seminar that he was told half the fighters at a well-known MMA training center are using performance-enhancing drugs.
"I talk to a lot of athletes out there about who's doing what," Conte said in June. "They're frank with me, partly because it's a two-way street. Give an example: One of the top MMA training centers in Northern California that has a number of UFC fighters, and I asked the owner of the facility and the head trainer what percentage of his athletes – the 16 UFC athletes that he had – were using drugs because he was asking me to help some of his athletes, and I said, 'Well, I can't help athletes that are using drugs.'
"He wrote a list out. Long story short, eight out of the 16 were using performance-enhancing drugs. So, I think this is a small sample size, but I think these are all some of the top fighters in the UFC, so I think it is rampant."
Conte, who pledges to be completely on the up and up with his current training methods, now works with a number of combat-sports athletes, including UFC veteran Kyle Kingsbury.
"There are other top UFC fighters that do come to me and that I have tested and provided consultation for," Conte said. "And some of these choose to keep it on the down-low.
"Some are very open and forgiving, and I greatly appreciate that opportunity. Others are just afraid of the downside, of the stigma that they're going to think they're on steroids. In reality, the guys that come to me and the guys that work with me are probably some of the cleanest guys out there."
Conte calls the level of testing by athletic commissions “a joke.”
"The only way that's going to happen is if the people that make the majority of the money from sport – whether that be baseball, football, UFC, Olympics, whoever it is – when they develop a genuine interest, then they can implement a reasonably effective testing program," Conte said. "They're not doing that."
Conte’s comments are very interesting and you have to believe there might be some truth to them. But he’s also a guy who loves being in the headlines. As far as what he says about testing by commissions, he’s likely dead on.
It’s also very probable that MMA doesn’t have any bigger of a PED problem than the other major sports.
Read more: BALCO founder Victor Conte estimates '50 percent' of MMA fighters use performance-enhancing drugs
Victor Conte, founder and former president of BALCO, believes that “in the neighborhood of 50 percent” of MMA fighters are using some kind of PEDs, he said this week on UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan’s podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience” (via MMAjunkie-com).
Conte, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute steroids and money laundering in 2005, said BALCO and MMA crossed paths very early on.
"Here's what I was told – I don't want to create more multi-million dollar lawsuits against me, but here's the story that I was told – [former co-worker Patrick Arnold] sold a whole bunch of [tetrahydrogestrinone, also known as ‘The Clear'], like a gallon, to Bob Sapp, K-1 fighter," Conte said. "My understanding is this stuff was all over the NFL. I guess during this time he was out of the NFL, and there was a period of time when he played in the Canadian (Football) League before he went to Japan to do the K-1 fighting, but the point is this stuff was very widely distributed, was my understanding."
Sapp is still competing in MMA, mostly overseas. He has never fought in the UFC.
Conte said in a speech earlier this year at the Association of Ringside Physicians annual seminar that he was told half the fighters at a well-known MMA training center are using performance-enhancing drugs.
"I talk to a lot of athletes out there about who's doing what," Conte said in June. "They're frank with me, partly because it's a two-way street. Give an example: One of the top MMA training centers in Northern California that has a number of UFC fighters, and I asked the owner of the facility and the head trainer what percentage of his athletes – the 16 UFC athletes that he had – were using drugs because he was asking me to help some of his athletes, and I said, 'Well, I can't help athletes that are using drugs.'
"He wrote a list out. Long story short, eight out of the 16 were using performance-enhancing drugs. So, I think this is a small sample size, but I think these are all some of the top fighters in the UFC, so I think it is rampant."
Conte, who pledges to be completely on the up and up with his current training methods, now works with a number of combat-sports athletes, including UFC veteran Kyle Kingsbury.
"There are other top UFC fighters that do come to me and that I have tested and provided consultation for," Conte said. "And some of these choose to keep it on the down-low.
"Some are very open and forgiving, and I greatly appreciate that opportunity. Others are just afraid of the downside, of the stigma that they're going to think they're on steroids. In reality, the guys that come to me and the guys that work with me are probably some of the cleanest guys out there."
Conte calls the level of testing by athletic commissions “a joke.”
"The only way that's going to happen is if the people that make the majority of the money from sport – whether that be baseball, football, UFC, Olympics, whoever it is – when they develop a genuine interest, then they can implement a reasonably effective testing program," Conte said. "They're not doing that."
Conte’s comments are very interesting and you have to believe there might be some truth to them. But he’s also a guy who loves being in the headlines. As far as what he says about testing by commissions, he’s likely dead on.
It’s also very probable that MMA doesn’t have any bigger of a PED problem than the other major sports.
Read more: BALCO founder Victor Conte estimates '50 percent' of MMA fighters use performance-enhancing drugs
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The Clean Energy Regulator has just released its initial estimate of the 2013 and 2014 renewable energy target for solar PV, solar hot water and other small scale renewable energy systems based on modelling of its consultant – SKM MMA.
The 2013 target is estimated to be 34.46 million of certificates known as small-scale technology certificates. This is an upward revision of 129 per cent relative to what the regulator had announced in March this year.
This incorporates an overhang of surplus STCs from last financial year of 15.99 million, so only 18.46 million of new certificates are required. In relation to energy consumers for each megawatt-hour of electricity they consume their electricity retailer will need to have acquired equivalent to 18.76 per cent of an STC. At a price of $30 per STC that’s an extra cost of $5.63 per megawatt-hour or between around 2 to 3.5 per cent of their electricity costs.
For 2013 to 2014 the target is 14.49 million STCs. This will require retailers to acquire an STC for 7.69 per cent of the liable megawatt-hours they sell. If the STC price were to rise to $40 this will impose an additional cost of $3.08 per MWh or around 1 to 2 per cent of final electricity prices.
These targets are not far off market expectations, with the REC Agents Association having projected similar numbers reported in Climate Spectator several weeks ago.
While these are not too far off current market expectations, they represent a substantial upward revision from the prior forecast prepared for the regulator by SKM MMA.
The table below indicates the latest forecast for STC creation versus what SKM MMA predicted in December 2011. It has revised upwards the number of certificates by almost a quarter for 2013 and by 35.8 per cent for 2014. This is in spite of the winding back of feed-in tariffs in Queensland and Victoria, which the prior modelling had not foreseen.
Read More: CLIMATE SPECTATOR: Solar target on the rise | Tristan Edis | Commentary | Business Spectator
The 2013 target is estimated to be 34.46 million of certificates known as small-scale technology certificates. This is an upward revision of 129 per cent relative to what the regulator had announced in March this year.
This incorporates an overhang of surplus STCs from last financial year of 15.99 million, so only 18.46 million of new certificates are required. In relation to energy consumers for each megawatt-hour of electricity they consume their electricity retailer will need to have acquired equivalent to 18.76 per cent of an STC. At a price of $30 per STC that’s an extra cost of $5.63 per megawatt-hour or between around 2 to 3.5 per cent of their electricity costs.
For 2013 to 2014 the target is 14.49 million STCs. This will require retailers to acquire an STC for 7.69 per cent of the liable megawatt-hours they sell. If the STC price were to rise to $40 this will impose an additional cost of $3.08 per MWh or around 1 to 2 per cent of final electricity prices.
These targets are not far off market expectations, with the REC Agents Association having projected similar numbers reported in Climate Spectator several weeks ago.
While these are not too far off current market expectations, they represent a substantial upward revision from the prior forecast prepared for the regulator by SKM MMA.
The table below indicates the latest forecast for STC creation versus what SKM MMA predicted in December 2011. It has revised upwards the number of certificates by almost a quarter for 2013 and by 35.8 per cent for 2014. This is in spite of the winding back of feed-in tariffs in Queensland and Victoria, which the prior modelling had not foreseen.
Read More: CLIMATE SPECTATOR: Solar target on the rise | Tristan Edis | Commentary | Business Spectator
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According to Matt Riddle, the positive drug test that recently resulted in a brief suspension was more the result of bad timing than malice.
As he tells it, he's not a stoner but an athlete trying to navigate his way through the tricky world of medical marijuana. Riddle, who claimed in a Monday MMA Hour interview that he has been considered a candidate for the treatment since he was about 12 years old, said he went so far as to move to Nevada from Pennsylvania partially because the socially liberal western state has medicinal needs laws in place.
According to him, it was through that state's laws and its process that he obtained a medical marijuana license, and it was because of legitimate medical needs that he smoked the drug about 12 days before his UFC 149 fight.
But the final effects of that last smoke wouldn't come until the hours after his third-round submission win over Chris Clements, when a Calgary Combative Sports Commission official arrived to collect a specimen.
At the time, Riddle was confident his sample would test clean. It did not.
"The thing is, I've quit 12 days out before and didn't have a problem," he told host Ariel Helwani. "To be honest, this drug tester tested me right after the fight. I was super-dehydrated. My pee was brown. It was the pure essence of Matt Riddle. They got the concentrated Matt Riddle in a cup, and I popped."
Riddle said that he is not addicted to marijuana, and suggested that he was using it for a variety of medical reasons, including anti-anxiety and physical pain.
"I do smoke but I'm not smoking to get stoned," he said. "I'm smoking so I can finally relax, sit back and just not worry about things. People, maybe they did it in college one way, but for a guy like me, for a professional athlete that goes through what we go through, it’s medicine for me. Maybe for some little stoner sitting on the couch playing XBox, for him, it's a drug. For me, it's medicine."
Riddle said that when he moved to Nevada, he went through a process of getting fingerprinted, submitting himself to a background check and paying nearly $600 in fees.
"It's not one of those California, Nick Diaz cards where you can go into a store, pay 50 bucks and walk out," he said.
He said the drug makes him feel "normal," not tired, lethargic or stupid.
Though some states have medical marijuana programs, the use of the drug is still banned by state medical commissions. Some states have explored the possibility of offering therapeutic use exemptions for marijuana, but there are not believed to be any granted to date.
Riddle said he addressed the situation with Calgary commission reps, letting them know about his medical use and approval to use the drug before the test, but told them he expected to test clean since he had cut off his usage 12 days before the fight.
He also claimed the commission didn't immediately overturn the result of his fight to a no contest. In fact, he says, they didn't do so until the positive test was revealed in the media, by which time he was practically done serving his 90-day suspension. He also was not fined.
And ultimately, while Riddle apologized to the UFC for testing positive, he said he doesn't find the punishment of taking away his victory fair.
"I did get punished," he said. "I know it sucks, but I know what happened that night."
Matt Riddle says positive marijuana test stemmed from legitimate medical usage - MMA Fighting
As he tells it, he's not a stoner but an athlete trying to navigate his way through the tricky world of medical marijuana. Riddle, who claimed in a Monday MMA Hour interview that he has been considered a candidate for the treatment since he was about 12 years old, said he went so far as to move to Nevada from Pennsylvania partially because the socially liberal western state has medicinal needs laws in place.
According to him, it was through that state's laws and its process that he obtained a medical marijuana license, and it was because of legitimate medical needs that he smoked the drug about 12 days before his UFC 149 fight.
But the final effects of that last smoke wouldn't come until the hours after his third-round submission win over Chris Clements, when a Calgary Combative Sports Commission official arrived to collect a specimen.
At the time, Riddle was confident his sample would test clean. It did not.
"The thing is, I've quit 12 days out before and didn't have a problem," he told host Ariel Helwani. "To be honest, this drug tester tested me right after the fight. I was super-dehydrated. My pee was brown. It was the pure essence of Matt Riddle. They got the concentrated Matt Riddle in a cup, and I popped."
Riddle said that he is not addicted to marijuana, and suggested that he was using it for a variety of medical reasons, including anti-anxiety and physical pain.
"I do smoke but I'm not smoking to get stoned," he said. "I'm smoking so I can finally relax, sit back and just not worry about things. People, maybe they did it in college one way, but for a guy like me, for a professional athlete that goes through what we go through, it’s medicine for me. Maybe for some little stoner sitting on the couch playing XBox, for him, it's a drug. For me, it's medicine."
Riddle said that when he moved to Nevada, he went through a process of getting fingerprinted, submitting himself to a background check and paying nearly $600 in fees.
"It's not one of those California, Nick Diaz cards where you can go into a store, pay 50 bucks and walk out," he said.
He said the drug makes him feel "normal," not tired, lethargic or stupid.
Though some states have medical marijuana programs, the use of the drug is still banned by state medical commissions. Some states have explored the possibility of offering therapeutic use exemptions for marijuana, but there are not believed to be any granted to date.
Riddle said he addressed the situation with Calgary commission reps, letting them know about his medical use and approval to use the drug before the test, but told them he expected to test clean since he had cut off his usage 12 days before the fight.
He also claimed the commission didn't immediately overturn the result of his fight to a no contest. In fact, he says, they didn't do so until the positive test was revealed in the media, by which time he was practically done serving his 90-day suspension. He also was not fined.
And ultimately, while Riddle apologized to the UFC for testing positive, he said he doesn't find the punishment of taking away his victory fair.
"I did get punished," he said. "I know it sucks, but I know what happened that night."
Matt Riddle says positive marijuana test stemmed from legitimate medical usage - MMA Fighting
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In this testosterone replacement therapy-infused age of mixed martial arts, Rich Franklin is a prime candidate to receive the treatment.
He’s been at this physically demanding sport now for more than 12 years. At 38, he’s at an age where his natural testosterone levels inevitably decline. He’s sore in the morning when he wakes up and his recovery time is noticeably longer. Franklin, though, says there are several reasons why he is not on TRT for his fight against Cung Le on Nov. 10, which will headline the UFC on Fuel event in Macau, China.
First, when Franklin initially mentioned during an interview months ago that he would consider TRT, the response from fans on his Twitter and Facebook accounts was venomous. Even though it is an approved medical treatment in the sport, Franklin says there is no question what the public’s perception is of the treatment.
“The public perception of TRT is that it’s cheating,” Franklin told ESPN-com. “The moment I said I was actually thinking about it, I started getting quite a bit of backlash.”
For the record, Franklin holds no personal feelings against TRT. It’s legal. Many of the fighters who use it are younger than Franklin. To this point, though, he says he hasn’t even checked his levels to see if he’s a candidate for an exemption.
As much as he doesn’t want to forfeit any advantage to an opponent (what professional athlete does?), he watches tape of his recent win over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 147 and doesn’t see a steep decline in his skills.
Sure, it’s harder for him to prepare for fights now than it was in his 20s -- but it’s not impossible. When it becomes impossible, maybe that’s nature’s sign to hang it up.
“I don’t believe I’ve dropped off with my speed or strength or any of that,” Franklin said. “You can’t look at my last fight and say, ‘Yeah, Rich has lost a step and is looking older.’
“When that day comes, perhaps I will consider quitting or possibly taking TRT. More than likely, in my mind, I’ll choose retirement over the necessity of TRT to continue.”
Franklin (29-6) is looking forward to being in the cage again. It will mark the first time since 2009 he’s fought twice in a calendar year, after spending much of the past two years on the sideline due to injury.
The former champ has expressed a desire at one more title run with the UFC before the end of his career. He admits a win over Le next month would certainly not earn him a title shot, but it would be a step in that direction.
“I’ve had trouble maintaining ranking in any weight class just because a lot of people don’t know where to put me since I’ve been fighting at catchweights,” Franklin said. “I believe winning this fight, I will need another top-five contender before the UFC will actually give me a title fight.
“And that depends on whether they even want to have a Franklin versus [Anderson] Silva III.”
It might also depend on Silva’s willingness to defend the 185-pound title. The Brazilian champion has showed disinterest in potential fights against current contenders.
Franklin, who lost to Silva in 2006 and 2007, doesn’t believe Silva is ducking the likes of Chris Weidman or Michael Bisping. From Franklin's perspective, Silva has beaten the same caliber of fighters his entire career, so why run from them now?
“It’s not like he’s ducking hard fights or anything like that,” Franklin said.
“Whatever it is they’re thinking in his camp, they have some sort of intelligent strategy to it. Anderson Silva doesn’t hang on to his belt as long as he has by making stupid decisions. You can defend your title that many times by being a great fighter, but you have to be a smart businessman, too.”
Franklin opts against TRT ahead of bout - Mixed Martial Arts Blog - ESPN
He’s been at this physically demanding sport now for more than 12 years. At 38, he’s at an age where his natural testosterone levels inevitably decline. He’s sore in the morning when he wakes up and his recovery time is noticeably longer. Franklin, though, says there are several reasons why he is not on TRT for his fight against Cung Le on Nov. 10, which will headline the UFC on Fuel event in Macau, China.
First, when Franklin initially mentioned during an interview months ago that he would consider TRT, the response from fans on his Twitter and Facebook accounts was venomous. Even though it is an approved medical treatment in the sport, Franklin says there is no question what the public’s perception is of the treatment.
“The public perception of TRT is that it’s cheating,” Franklin told ESPN-com. “The moment I said I was actually thinking about it, I started getting quite a bit of backlash.”
For the record, Franklin holds no personal feelings against TRT. It’s legal. Many of the fighters who use it are younger than Franklin. To this point, though, he says he hasn’t even checked his levels to see if he’s a candidate for an exemption.
As much as he doesn’t want to forfeit any advantage to an opponent (what professional athlete does?), he watches tape of his recent win over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 147 and doesn’t see a steep decline in his skills.
Sure, it’s harder for him to prepare for fights now than it was in his 20s -- but it’s not impossible. When it becomes impossible, maybe that’s nature’s sign to hang it up.
“I don’t believe I’ve dropped off with my speed or strength or any of that,” Franklin said. “You can’t look at my last fight and say, ‘Yeah, Rich has lost a step and is looking older.’
“When that day comes, perhaps I will consider quitting or possibly taking TRT. More than likely, in my mind, I’ll choose retirement over the necessity of TRT to continue.”
Franklin (29-6) is looking forward to being in the cage again. It will mark the first time since 2009 he’s fought twice in a calendar year, after spending much of the past two years on the sideline due to injury.
The former champ has expressed a desire at one more title run with the UFC before the end of his career. He admits a win over Le next month would certainly not earn him a title shot, but it would be a step in that direction.
“I’ve had trouble maintaining ranking in any weight class just because a lot of people don’t know where to put me since I’ve been fighting at catchweights,” Franklin said. “I believe winning this fight, I will need another top-five contender before the UFC will actually give me a title fight.
“And that depends on whether they even want to have a Franklin versus [Anderson] Silva III.”
It might also depend on Silva’s willingness to defend the 185-pound title. The Brazilian champion has showed disinterest in potential fights against current contenders.
Franklin, who lost to Silva in 2006 and 2007, doesn’t believe Silva is ducking the likes of Chris Weidman or Michael Bisping. From Franklin's perspective, Silva has beaten the same caliber of fighters his entire career, so why run from them now?
“It’s not like he’s ducking hard fights or anything like that,” Franklin said.
“Whatever it is they’re thinking in his camp, they have some sort of intelligent strategy to it. Anderson Silva doesn’t hang on to his belt as long as he has by making stupid decisions. You can defend your title that many times by being a great fighter, but you have to be a smart businessman, too.”
Franklin opts against TRT ahead of bout - Mixed Martial Arts Blog - ESPN
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DREAM looks to be revived, as upstart promotion GLORY will team with them to announce a New Year's Eve show in Japan, according to MMA Fighting.
A press conference is scheduled for Thursday in Japan where the partnership will be announced publicly according to a GLORY official. Several fights are expected to be announced at the press conference.
It is not clear if this new deal goes beyond the one show.
The event will be called GSI Presents DREAM 18 - Special NYE 2012. It takes place December 31 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
DREAM's last event was their 2011 New Year's Eve show. Earlier in the year, their parent company filed for bankruptcy leaving the fate of the MMA company in question.
GLORY is a kickboxing promotion who earlier this year purchased their rival promotion It's Showtime.
Thursday's press conference will begin at 5 a.m. Eastern Time.
DREAM and GLORY Team Up for New Year's Eve MMA Event
A press conference is scheduled for Thursday in Japan where the partnership will be announced publicly according to a GLORY official. Several fights are expected to be announced at the press conference.
It is not clear if this new deal goes beyond the one show.
The event will be called GSI Presents DREAM 18 - Special NYE 2012. It takes place December 31 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
DREAM's last event was their 2011 New Year's Eve show. Earlier in the year, their parent company filed for bankruptcy leaving the fate of the MMA company in question.
GLORY is a kickboxing promotion who earlier this year purchased their rival promotion It's Showtime.
Thursday's press conference will begin at 5 a.m. Eastern Time.
DREAM and GLORY Team Up for New Year's Eve MMA Event
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2006/12/07
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MMA is a big business. Really big, actually.
Long gone are the days of fighters having “Condom Depot” splayed across their butt. Now, companies like Head and Shoulders, Under Armour, Nike and Coca-Cola are cutting big checks to have MMA's finest plug their merchandise. This rolls over into commercials as well, with fighters popping up more and more in the middle of your favorite shows.
Naturally, if there are more than two sports-related things, we here at Bleacher Report will rank them in a list-based article for you to casually browse through.
So, what are the best MMA-related commercials of all time? Find out here!
Picture: Anderson Silva Sings and the Best MMA-Related Commercials Ever | Bleacher Report
Long gone are the days of fighters having “Condom Depot” splayed across their butt. Now, companies like Head and Shoulders, Under Armour, Nike and Coca-Cola are cutting big checks to have MMA's finest plug their merchandise. This rolls over into commercials as well, with fighters popping up more and more in the middle of your favorite shows.
Naturally, if there are more than two sports-related things, we here at Bleacher Report will rank them in a list-based article for you to casually browse through.
So, what are the best MMA-related commercials of all time? Find out here!
Picture: Anderson Silva Sings and the Best MMA-Related Commercials Ever | Bleacher Report
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Moments after the conclusion of the UFC's first foray onto Chinese soil on Nov. 10, analysis of what it all means will commence.
The size of the crowd, its understanding of mixed martial arts, the media's interest and all the various possibilities will be intensely dissected shortly after Rich Franklin and Cung Le wrap up the main event of UFC on Fuel 6 in Macau.
The success, or the lack thereof, of that specific card will mean nothing when viewed against the long-term picture.
The UFC's interest in China and, indeed, the entire Asian market, is a long-term play. Good or bad, the results of the first card won't say much about what will occur in three, five or 10 years.
UFC president Dana White frequently talks of a day when MMA will surpass soccer as the world's most popular sport. He's often mocked for that stance, but it will never occur if Asia, generally, and China, specifically, don't fall in love with MMA.
[Also: Legendary boxing trainer Emanuel Steward dies at 68]
Despite the growth of the sport, it's going to take years to cultivate the market. Without question, Brazil is now the UFC's most fervent market. TV ratings are astronomical, and even fighters who are largely unknown in the American market are stars in Brazil.
Brazil, though, is hardly an overnight success story. UFC 21 was in Brazil and the promotion was founded in part by Brazilians. Yet, only now have years of work mining the Brazilian market begun to pay off.
Read More: MMA has room to grow as sport in China - Yahoo! Sports
The size of the crowd, its understanding of mixed martial arts, the media's interest and all the various possibilities will be intensely dissected shortly after Rich Franklin and Cung Le wrap up the main event of UFC on Fuel 6 in Macau.
The success, or the lack thereof, of that specific card will mean nothing when viewed against the long-term picture.
The UFC's interest in China and, indeed, the entire Asian market, is a long-term play. Good or bad, the results of the first card won't say much about what will occur in three, five or 10 years.
UFC president Dana White frequently talks of a day when MMA will surpass soccer as the world's most popular sport. He's often mocked for that stance, but it will never occur if Asia, generally, and China, specifically, don't fall in love with MMA.
[Also: Legendary boxing trainer Emanuel Steward dies at 68]
Despite the growth of the sport, it's going to take years to cultivate the market. Without question, Brazil is now the UFC's most fervent market. TV ratings are astronomical, and even fighters who are largely unknown in the American market are stars in Brazil.
Brazil, though, is hardly an overnight success story. UFC 21 was in Brazil and the promotion was founded in part by Brazilians. Yet, only now have years of work mining the Brazilian market begun to pay off.
Read More: MMA has room to grow as sport in China - Yahoo! Sports
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Tom Stokes, who trains at MMA 1 gym in Hesperia, will defend his Gladiator Challenge heavyweight title tonight against Travis Tarabino.
“I watched some footage on him,” Stokes said. “Our fight is going to be an exciting fight for the fans. It’s not going to go to the score cards.”
Stokes’ last two fights ended quickly with wins in the first round, one at 26 seconds and the other in 41 seconds.
Fabian Diaz, Tim Montenegro and Jimmy Alonso are will also represent MMA 1 gym. Nelson Alvarado will fight out of Universal Grappling Academy in Victorville. The event will be held at Soboba Casino in San Jacinto. Gates open at 3 p.m., and the fights begin at 4 p.m. Visit Gladiator Challenge - World Leader In MMA & Sports Promotion. for more information.
Future Fights
Nov. 17: Marcus Edwards (Granite Hills graduate) will fight at a Supremacy event in Denver.
Results
Oct. 25: At a King of the Cage event in Highland held at San Manuel Casino, Jason Walraven (Cobra Kai in Victorville) defeated Jason Ireland by tapout from a rear naked choke, 3:13 into the first.
Oct. 20: At a King of the Cage event in Laughlin, Nev., Justin Hernandez (Total Training Center) defeated Sam Hess via TKO, doctor stoppage — laceration to the right eye at the end of the first round. Dennis Parker (Total Training Center) lost to Christian Cardona via knockout 10 seconds into round one. Gerald Harvey (Total Training Center) defeated Arthur Powell via KO 4 second into round one. That tied the King of the Cage record for fastest KO with another High Desert fighter, Luis Cruz. Pete Schaffer (Cobra Kai) lost to LJ Torres via three-round unanimous decision. Jonathan Noriega (Cobra Kai) lost to JJ Torres via three-round split decision. Nicolas Reber (Cobra Kai) defeated George Wright via verbal tapout 58 seconds into the first round. Cory Hall (Total Training Center) defeated Raul Hernandez (Cobra Kai) by TKO 2:13 into the second round.
Stokes defends heavyweight title Sunday | heavyweight, title, mma - MMA Update - Victorville Daily Press
“I watched some footage on him,” Stokes said. “Our fight is going to be an exciting fight for the fans. It’s not going to go to the score cards.”
Stokes’ last two fights ended quickly with wins in the first round, one at 26 seconds and the other in 41 seconds.
Fabian Diaz, Tim Montenegro and Jimmy Alonso are will also represent MMA 1 gym. Nelson Alvarado will fight out of Universal Grappling Academy in Victorville. The event will be held at Soboba Casino in San Jacinto. Gates open at 3 p.m., and the fights begin at 4 p.m. Visit Gladiator Challenge - World Leader In MMA & Sports Promotion. for more information.
Future Fights
Nov. 17: Marcus Edwards (Granite Hills graduate) will fight at a Supremacy event in Denver.
Results
Oct. 25: At a King of the Cage event in Highland held at San Manuel Casino, Jason Walraven (Cobra Kai in Victorville) defeated Jason Ireland by tapout from a rear naked choke, 3:13 into the first.
Oct. 20: At a King of the Cage event in Laughlin, Nev., Justin Hernandez (Total Training Center) defeated Sam Hess via TKO, doctor stoppage — laceration to the right eye at the end of the first round. Dennis Parker (Total Training Center) lost to Christian Cardona via knockout 10 seconds into round one. Gerald Harvey (Total Training Center) defeated Arthur Powell via KO 4 second into round one. That tied the King of the Cage record for fastest KO with another High Desert fighter, Luis Cruz. Pete Schaffer (Cobra Kai) lost to LJ Torres via three-round unanimous decision. Jonathan Noriega (Cobra Kai) lost to JJ Torres via three-round split decision. Nicolas Reber (Cobra Kai) defeated George Wright via verbal tapout 58 seconds into the first round. Cory Hall (Total Training Center) defeated Raul Hernandez (Cobra Kai) by TKO 2:13 into the second round.
Stokes defends heavyweight title Sunday | heavyweight, title, mma - MMA Update - Victorville Daily Press
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Jon Fitch is tyring to erase the bitter taste of defeat when he got knocked out by Johnny Hendricks earlier in the year. It was a brutal KO and he wants to prove to everyone that he is still on of the best in the division. He sports a record of 23-4-1. He has always been a perennial contender in this division, and he has even faced George St. Pierre in a title fight that showed his grit and unwillingness to quit.
He has notable wins over Thiago Alves, Mike Pierce, Paulo Thiago, and Diego Sanchez. Fitch is one of the best wrestlers in the division, which is why he is the team captain at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California.
Erick Silva is coming into this fight with an overall record of 14-2. He has notable wins over Charlie Brenneman, Luis Ramos, and Carlo Prater (even though it was ruled a no contest). Silva has burst onto the UFC scene, and his dynamic striking coupled with his submission skills makes him a tough outing for any fighter that stands across from him.
He is also very athletic and has shown the ability to thwart off wrestlers, which can be seen in his latest fight with Charlie Brenneman. His fight with Jon Fitch will be his toughest to date, and it will be interesting to see if he can move up into the upper echelon of the division with a win this Saturday night (October 8, 2012).
Read more at Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva Preview