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Matt Serra was creeping up on 39 years old, and hadn't fought in well over two years, so it it had gotten to the point when most people considered him retired anyway. But then, when they heard he had hung it up after suffering blood blots and a forced rib removal, it no longer seemed so fair or timely. Serra, who had authored one of the most memorable moments in mixed martial arts history when he knocked out Georges St-Pierre in 2007, last week told New York Newsday that he was "walking away."

But on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, he told Ariel Helwani that it was a decision a long time in coming. In fact, he said that even in his final fight against Chris Lytle in Sept. 2010, he had an inkling that he was nearing the end. He had already fought Lytle once before, and the two had become friends, making it difficult to motivate himself. Deep down, he was conflicted.

"It was a weird, weird mental thing," he said. "I came to the conclusion, he hasn’t been knocked down before. He has a chin like granite. Don’t get me wrong, if I knocked him down, I would have followed him down, but that was the game plan. Let’s stand ... [but] I should have been looking to win. I could have mixed it up more with the jiu-jitsu, but I wanted to excite myself. So right there is a sign like, 'What the f--- am I doing?'"

Serra said he always viewed fighting to go hand-in-hand with his other passion, teaching. Serra opened his first gym storefront in part from the first two checks he received from fighting in the UFC.

Whenever he needed a spark, he would take a fight, then he would go back to Long Island and continue teaching the gospel of BJJ. As a result, he never felt any sense of urgency to return quickly. That shows in the path of his career. Serra made his UFC debut in May 2001, and fought 14 times until retirement. In many years, he fought only a single time. His career arc crested when he took part in a season of The Ultimate Fighter that focused on UFC veterans, with the season winner earning a chance to fight for the belt. From the beginning, Serra came off as a star on the show for his gregarious personality and leadership skills. During the season, Serra beat Pete Spratt by submission and Shonie Carter by submission. In the finals, he edged Lytle in a split-decision, earning the chance to fight champion Georges St-Pierre.

By fight time, St-Pierre was a massive favorite, at around 11-to-1, and most people believed that if Serra had any chance, it would be on the ground. Instead, he stunned the fight world by knocking out GSP with his hands in less than a round. Not surprisingly, he's content with that epic moment as the crux of his legacy.

"Of course," he said. "It’s something I’m very proud of. Whenever there's something you’ve done that everybody and their mother said you couldn’t do, and it was like an impossible feat, of course, it's awesome. Compare it to Rocky 1. 'You can't do it Rocky. Who are you to go in there?' All he wants to do is go the distance and he goes the distance. Wonderful story. This is better though. First of all, MMA is way cooler than boxing. And two, I finished the guy. He got revenge, and he beat my ass in Canada. I know, but f--- that. Who cares? The first fight was way funner for me."

After beating GSP, Serra would fight just four more times. He lost the belt to St-Pierre, fought a close decision with rival Matt Hughes that went Hughes' way, KO'd Frank Trigg, and then lost the rematch with Lytle by decision.

Serra said he didn't announce his retirement sooner because there's always been the contemplation to do one more. He compared the feeling of competing to a drug because of the high you experience while doing it. But the injuries began to slow him down.

It all came to a head last month, when it was discovered that he had thoracic outlet syndrome, which caused his first rib and collarbone to compress a vein, restricted blood flow and caused clots. At the time it was found, Serra had clots in his bicep and lung, and said he was lucky to have gone to the doctor when he did.

To address the issue, surgeons removed his first rib, the one closest to his collarbone. He said he feels good now but is currently on blood thinners and has several more weeks of recovery before he can return to his life on the mats and rolling jiu-jitsu.

Right now, he's not sure if he will be able to fly to Las Vegas and corner his protege Chris Weidman when the middleweight travels to challenge Anderson Silva at UFC 162.

"He’s a unique individual, Chris," he said. "He’s really talented and I think ... people point to the Demian Maia fight. That’s literally without a camp. That's not done. Nobody does that. It's not even like he had a fight the next week and switched opponents. The guy didn’t have a camp. He got off the couch and did that. It's not like he's a slob but he's not in fighting shape. He’s going to look human. Look when he has a full camp. The guy’s a monster. You look at the guy closest to him. Pople say about Chris, they compare him to Chael [Sonnen] or whatever. I believe Chris is a different animal. I really do. I've witnessed it. I think he's going to do phenomenal."

Beyond that, Serra is not quite sure as to what his future holds. He'll always have jiu-jitsu, but might some role in television follow for the loquacious Long Islander? Even if it doesn't, he disappears into the sport's background, he's happy with his role in mixed martial arts history. First TUF winner to win a belt, biggest upset in UFC history, welterweight champion. What's not to like?

"I’m proud of everything I’ve done with the UFC," he said. "I’m proud to be a part of it. I had a very nice conversation with Dana [White] the other day about everything. I kind of made it official with the walking-away thing. He said, 'I would have brought you out.' It’s all good. I’m happy. Whoever you talk to, I’m either overrated or underrated. It's all who you to talk to. I’m very secure w

Albuquerque MMA fighter Holly Holm has signed a four-fight contract with the Texas promotional firm Legacy Fighting Championship, Lenny Fresquez, Holm’s local promoter, said Wednesday. Holm is scheduled to make her LFC debut July 19 in Houston.

Fresquez said the agreement with LFC will provide Holm the experience and exposure she needs to get to the top of mixed-martial arts in as brief a time as possible.

Holm, 31, recently announced her retirement from boxing after a highly successful, 11-year ring career, saying she wanted to focus exclusively on MMA. Thus far, she’s 3-0 as a cagefighter.

The long-term goal, Fresquez said, remains a fight with UFC women’s bantamweight (135-pound) champion Ronda Rousey.

Fresquez said he doesn’t expect that to happen within the span of the four LFC fights, but he said the contract is flexible enough to allow that if it is determined Holm is ready and if Rousey is available.

He said the contract also allows Fresquez to promote an MMA show with Holm in Albuquerque, probably in September.

“(Holm) will have had five fights in 18 months, and by that time she’ll be more than ready for Ronda,” Fresquez said. “(Legacy Fighting Championship) was the only company that fit all our needs.”

Fresquez said he also had discussions with The World Series of Fighting and with the UFC. The UFC wanted Holm to get more experience, Fresquez said, “but we are in communications with them. They’re keeping very close tabs on her to see how she progresses.”

Legacy Fighting Championship is a 6-year-old company. It will stage its 20th event Friday in Corpus Christi.

Albuquerque’s Damacio Page, who trains with Holm at Jackson-Winkeljohn Mixed Martial Arts, is scheduled to fight Patrick Ybarra on LFC 20 in Corpus Christi. Longtime Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter Leonard Garcia recently signed with LFC and is scheduled to make his debut July 19.

ELSEWHERE: Santa Fe’s Isaac Vallie-Flagg has withdrawn from his fight on UFC 161, scheduled June 15 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, because of a back injury.

… Jackson-Winkeljohn’s Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone earned $82,000 for his victory over K.J. Noons on UFC 160, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission – half of that figure for showing up, half for winning.



ABQJournal Sports » Holm lands MMA deal, fights July 19

All fighters screened at UFC on FX 8 passed their pre- and post-fight drug tests, UFC officials announced on Thursday.

UFC on FX 8 took place at the Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil on May 18, 2013. For the first time, all drug testing was overseen entirely by the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA).

"The UFC has been informed by CABMMA that all fighters on the UFC on FX 8 card passed their pre and post-fight drug tests," Thursday's statement read. "The UFC fully supports the drug testing efforts of all regulatory agencies. All fighters are drug tested at every event and the organization maintains a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents."

In the night's main event, middleweight veteran Vitor Belfort knocked out former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold with a spectacular spinning wheel kick midway through round one.

The CABMMA revealed Belfort to be a user of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) earlier this year following his bout against Michael Bisping, an announcement met by widespread criticism throughout the mixed martial arts community.

In the past, Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), for which the CABMMA was modeled after, stated that NSAC would not grant Belfort an exemption for TRT in Nevada due to his history of steroid abuse.

CABMMA medical director Marcio Tannure recently told Fighters Only that although the CABMMA was modeled after the NSAC, it is now fully autonomous to make its own decisions regarding Therapy Use Exemptions (TUE), the cause for Belfort's condition, and any additional testing a fighter may undergo.

"I can't say what was the cause of his hypogonadism, what happened and what didn't, because we don't know that. And there are several possible causes for this condition," Tannure said.

"All fighters are tested before the fight, and six fighters are drawn to be tested again after the fight. Since Vitor is in treatment, he was also required to perform a blood test to check if his testosterone levels are normal. We can't tell the lab's name because of medical confidentiality."



All fighters pass UFC on FX 8 drug tests - MMA Fighting

Drug tests are god for all sports.

"I'm going to show everybody what I'm capable of. And I'm going to show everybody what I'm capable of with support behind me. It's going to be really nice to fight for an organization that is pushing and promoting me instead of trying to hold me back and put me down. There wasn't a fight I went into where I didn't feel as if I was fighting for my job. If I didn't win I was going to be fired. Every fight I had before was not just a fight against the guy in front of me but a fight against the people putting on the show... People can expect to see the best of Jon Fitch. No filters. No worries other than the fight in front of me and I think that is going to bring out the best Jon Fitch you've seen."

-Jon Fitch talks to Duane Finley at BleacherReport-com about his upcoming debut with the World Series of Fighting and the difference he's already feeling from the UFC.

Penick's Analysis: Fitch's style and his clashes with UFC brass didn't make him a favorite to the organization, but his results spoke for themselves, and his release this year was still shocking. That said, he's right, he gets a chance to work with an organization who sees him as more than the he was seen as in the UFC, and the WSOF has already put him into a headlining fight on television. Maybe he'll fight a little differently without the UFC's pressures on his back, it's hard to say, but he's coming into his June debut for the WSOF with a great attitude and a refreshed outlook on his career. It could be a fun run for him in the WSOF, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how he performs in their cage.



Jon Fitch feeling supported into World Series of Fighting debut, felt held back in the UFC

Mixed martial arts professional Lucus Montoya was minutes away from his first fight in two years. Just before he readied to leave for the cage, the 160-pounder learned his return will be delayed a little longer. In a freak accident, Montoya's opponent, Danny August, preparing for the fight in the dressing room, injured his knee and left Farmington's Legacy Events Center on a stretcher.



"He (August) tripped on water bottle someone left on the ground," said Dave Foley, one of Montoya's corner men. His knee was visibly dislocated. ... It happened five minutes before the fight," added Foley.

Montoya addressed the large crowd, adding laconically that while he was disappointed, it had been a worse night for his would-be opponent, August.

A representative of SteelFist, the promoter of the card, said they would offer Montoya a bout on a future card.

In the main event Saturday night, Salvador "Killa" Sanchez stopped Rhett Morehouse with a left hook early in round one to win the Utah heavyweight championship. The short, portly Sanchez, a powerful puncher, is now 7-0. Morehouse falls to 3-1.

A highly anticipated match between Top of Utah 180-pound strikers Cole Rose and Francisco Alcantara ended abruptly in the first round when Rose clipped an oncoming Alcantara with a short punch that sent his opponent face first to the canvas. It was a few minutes before Alcantara could get up. It was an electrifying win for the popular Rose, 20-17.

In a professional preliminary bout, 155 pounder Kaifah DeToles, who fights out of One Hit MMA in Layton, scored an impressive stoppage win in the first round of veteran Curtis Johnsen, of Hidden Valley MMA of Sandy. The powerful DeToles (2-1), took down Johnsen (8-7). Johnsen temporarily had wrist control -- on the ground -- over DeToles but the Layton fighter used his feet, and powerful lower body strength, to stay on top of his opponent, who tired before the fight was stopped after three minutes.

In another professional fight, John Valentine, of Hidden Valley (1-0), 155 pounds, body slammed Anthony Feraco and then applied a rear naked choke, winning via tap out in 11 seconds. In the most competitive professional bout, 155-pound Travis Worsencroft, of Pit Elevated in Orem, avenged a previous loss with a second round stoppage of Kyle Herrara (5-6). The lean, deliberate Worsencroft was floored early by Herrera but otherwise dominated the bout with better skills, battering the game Hererra before ending the fight with a tap out.

In other professional fights, 170-pounder Trevor Cook (4-4) stopped Mario Ortega (2-8) in round one, and Keaton Romero (3-3), 135 pounds, put Alexis Burkman (2-2) to sleep via a choke in round one.

There were several amateur fights as well. In a mild upset, Aaron Thompson, of Absolute MMA in West Jordan, overwhelmed previously unbeaten Adam Nijem of Pit Elevated. The 170-pound fight ended with a rear naked choke tap out by Nijem, 2-1.

In the most competitive amateur fight, 115-pounder Aubree Thompson, a deaf fighter from Hidden Valley MMA, scored a third-round stoppage over a very game Amanda Campbell, 0-3, of Team Mayhem. The better-conditioned Thompson was pounding an exhausted Campbell when the referee halted the bout late in the third round.

In other amateur bouts, all ending in the first round. Matt Mast, 135 pounds, stopped Adam Lary; Shaun Vanderheiden, 155 pounds, defeated Jeff Toplak; Lehi Dominiquez Soldada, 170 pounds, beat Matthew Thompson; Trever Bradshaw defeated John Simpson, 185 pounds; Samson Phommabout, 145 pounds, beat Jeff Carson, and in another female fight, Jesse Engler defeated Michelle Marshall.



Freak accident delays Montoya's MMA return

Mike Low, a mixed martial arts matchmaker, remembers when he had trouble finding enough talent for his local fight cards. Not anymore.

"Four years ago, I'd have to look for fighters, gym to gym. Now I get 50 emails a day from people pitching their fighters from here. And they're usually pretty good fighters," he said.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has taken hold across the country and the sport's boom has spawned about a dozen second-tier MMA pro circuits in Southern California. Hundreds of prospects are trying to battle their way through the octagon, hoping to land a UFC contract.

"Without a doubt, we are the hotbed of the country" in MMA talent, said Low, live events manager and matchmaker for the King of the Cage circuit. He typically stacks his five annual fight cards at San Manuel casino in Highland with local fighters, and the bouts draw about 4,000 fans.

Low said that MMA — not boxing — is the combat sport of choice for young athletes who are schooled in wrestling, striking, jiujitsu, karate, kickboxing and other skills. "I'm not going to say boxing is a dying sport, but it's steadily losing its popularity and MMA has overtaken it," he said.

MMA-specific gyms dot the landscape, from Santa Monica to Rosemead, Rancho Cucamonga to San Diego, serving as the training home of champions and contenders and for those amateurs looking to shed 20 pounds.

One prospect is 25-year-old James Moontasri, who is 4-0 as a welterweight. He currently fights for a Southern California-based MMA organization known as Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) and is on their fight card scheduled for August in Carson.

He converted to MMA after winning a taekwondo silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games. Moontasri works as a trainer at the UFC Gym in Torrance and is hoping three more victories this year will launch him to the UFC.

Moontasri trains at Black House MMA Gym in Gardena, a converted warehouse, where a couple of dozen pros work out. The group includes UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former light-heavyweight champions Lyoto Machida and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

"To train and spar alongside Anderson and Lyoto is like going to Disneyland," Moontasri said. "If you keep doing the right things — train hard, hang around the right guys —- good things will happen. You're humbled every day in there. It's all about keeping your eyes on the prize."

One could argue MMA was born here, because the South Bay is home to the famed Brazilian Gracie family, whose Royce employed his multi-discipline skills to win the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event. More than a dozen years later, the Southland is spinning out young champions such as the UFC's first women's belt-wearer, Ronda Rousey of Venice.

"Southern California has always been a huge market for the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts," UFC President Dana White said. "We've seen a lot of our top stars come from Southern California."

Another local young fighter on the rise is King of the Cage welterweight champion David Gomez, 30, of Rancho Cucamonga.

Gomez has a pro record of 15-6-1, and his Aug. 29 fight is a rematch with the man from whom he took the belt, Joshua Alves. Gomez's purse could surpass $10,000, a significant barrier in his fourth year in the circuit.

"If you want to nail it, you have to work at this sport six days a week," he said.

Starting pay isn't the motivation, though. Some young, unbeaten fighters who spoke to The Times said they were five fights into their career before they were paid $1,000 for a bout. And some smaller organizations pay their fighters a percentage of ticket sales — a benefit of booking a Southern Californian prospect who can draw fans.

The real pot of gold for young fighters is an entry-level UFC contract, which varies according to the company. A manager familiar with contract negotiations said UFC fighters typically get about $8,000 for their first fight, plus another $8,000 if they win.

UFC has about 250 fighters under contract, and it's a tough business. UFC has a "cut" stipulation in most contracts, meaning they can release a fighter at any time.

But the young talent keeps coming.

King of the Cage amateur champion Justin Williams, 22, of Lucerne Valley, hopes to turn pro this year after a few more bouts.
Williams has seen and trained with the talent in local gyms. "I just go and roll with the guys, and it's made a big difference in me becoming a better fighter," he said.

The volume of fighters has led to improved training, intensifying the athletes' push to make their skills more sophisticated.

"If you're thinking about doing this for a living, this is the place to be when you consider the talent pool, the quality of coaching," said Ed Soares, who manages Silva and Machida, and owns the RFA fight company. "Think of yourself as a fighter in Black House. You're sizing yourself up and get a chance to stand across from [Silva], the greatest fighter in the world," Soares said. "Imagine the confidence, the bounce in the step that kid has when it's time to step into the ring for his actual fight."

UFC has about 35 pro fighters with Southern California ties, including bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz (19-1) of El Cajon.

Cruz, 28, won the World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight belt in 2010 before the UFC folded the WEC roster into its organization. Cruz later defeated Urijah Faber and Demetrious Johnson during his four title defenses.

Meanwhile, he has also invested in two Alliance Training Center gyms in San Diego. Cruz often feels as if he's kindred spirits with aspiring fighters who sign up at his gym.

"As someone who worked 9-to-5 jobs as a landscaper, paint mixer, telemarketer, in masonry and at McDonald's until I first fought for a world title in 2010, I generate my power and fighting drive from working those jobs," Cruz said.

"Every time I wake up and don't want to train, I think of how much I don't want to throw

Saying it's time for a "truthful conversation" about mixed martial arts, Brooklyn attorney Jennifer Bonjean and other female advocates for the sport sought to rebut the concerns of several women's groups that MMA contributes to the brutalization and objectification of women.

Those concerns were expressed recently in a letter from the president of the state branch of the National Organization for Women to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "We know that violence in sports exacerbates violence within the homes of women and children," wrote Zenaida Mendez, who called on the governor to reject a bill legalizing professional MMA bouts in New York.

The sentiments of NOW and similar organizations have special resonance in the Assembly, which is still reeling from the controversy over alleged sexual harassment by former Assemblyman Vito Lopez. The MMA bill has lingered in the chamber since it passed the state Senate in March.

Speaker Sheldon Silver has said that the decision on whether or not to bring the bill to the floor would be made by the Democratic conference, but there doesn't seem to be much urgency for MMA as the end of session approaches.

In a Monday press conference, Bonjean referenced the Lopez scandal: "We live in a society where women are often seen as sex objects," she said. " ... There are sexist men everywhere, including in this building — maybe even in this room. The UFC and ... other promoters of MMA are no exception to that rule ... but neither are they a club of rapists, any more than the general Assembly is a club of sexual harassers."

She argued that MMA promoters had, in fact, done a great deal to fight images of women as passive sex objects through the careers of female fighters such as champion Ronda Rousey. And for both genders, Bonjean claimed the sport teaches "emotional discipline."

Ottavia Bourdain, who competes in Brazilian jiu-jitsu matches, said her interest in MMA grew after she saw a pro MMA bout at Newark's Prudential Center that included two women on the card. "Looking at these women standing in the octagon looking strong, athletic, fearless (and) focused was really inspiring for me," said Bourdain, the wife of celebrity chef and author Anthony Bourdain.

Bourdain initially put her daughter in ballet lessons — as her own mother had done with her — but ultimately succumbed to the 4-year-old's pleas that she be allowed to take martial arts classes.

"I'm speaking to you as the mother of a little girl who is the most precious thing I have, and I would do anything to protect her," she said. "And I wish I could always be with her and hold her hand at every moment of her life, but unfortunately I know I can't — and that's why I'm glad she's doing martial arts. She's learning how not to be afraid."

Read more: MMA advocates push for sport's legalization - Times Union

When Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans square off in the main event of UFC 161, both fighters will attempt to put February losses in their rear-view mirror.

Evans, the former UFC light heavyweight titleholder, looked surprisingly listless in a one-sided loss to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 156.

Henderson, the former PRIDE multi-weight class and Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, lost a debatable split decision to Lyoto Machida at UFC 157.

For his part, Henderson said the defeat was the end result of his inability to figure out a non-engaging opponent. Speaking on a Tuesday media teleconference promoting the June 15 event at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Henderson said of Machida, "It's hard to fight a guy who doesn't want to fight you."

"Lyoto is definitely a different fighter than most everybody else who fights in the UFC, Henderson added. "I know, I didn't really perform to my best ... I was disappointed in myself, I knew I could have done some things differently, but you live and learn.'

Evans, meanwhile, never got untracked against "Li'l Nog," dropping across-the-board 29-28 scores in Las Vegas. For his part, Evans said he can't take the time to dwell on what went down.

"I've addressed the issues where I felt I was wrong," Evans said. "For the most part, you have to have a short memory on that sort of thing. If you hold onto it for too long, it can happen again. I've lost before, I know I have to go out there and do it to the best of my abilities. Second-guessing myself won't get me any closer to fighting to the best of my capabilities. I'm over that performance, and I am ready to move put on the fight I trained for, and my preparation for this fight has been great."

It almost goes without saying that this meeting has major implications for both fighters' future. The winner very likely stays in the at the top of the 205-pound weight class, while the loser is just as likely to drop off the radar for potential challengers to champion Jon Jones.

Evans says he's not going to let himself think that far ahead. "The whole title shot is not on my mind," Evans (17-3-1) said. "I just want to go and fight and whatever happens after that happens. I don't really care."

Hendo, though, wasn't afraid to admit he still wants a piece of the champion, in the wake of their infamous, canceled UFC 151 bout.

"Obviously, it was something that was supposed to happen last year and didn't," Henderson (29-9) said. "I'd like to fight Jon Jones. I feel like I have unfinished business there, but I'm 100 percent focused on this fight. Rashad is extremely tough and dangerous. I need to make sure I'm focused."






Dan Henderson, Rashad Evans look to put losses behind them - MMA Fighting

Lightweight champion Benson Henderson will defend his title against T.J. Grant on Aug. 31 at UFC 164 in Milwaukee, promotion officials announced Tuesday night.


Henderson (19-2) will be making his fourth title defense after beating Frankie Edgar in February 2012. In his most recent defense, on April 20, Henderson needed a split decision to hold off former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez.

Grant earned a shot at the 155-pound champion with a first-round knockout of Gray Maynard on May 25 at UFC 160 in Las Vegas. The former welterweight is 5-0 as a lightweight and 21-5.

A heavyweight title between former UFC champions Josh Barnett and Frank Mir is also scheduled for the Aug. 31 event. Barnett makes his return to UFC for the first time in 11 years.



Ben Henderson to meet T.J Grant on Aug. 31 - ESPN

The Connecticut Senate on Wednesday voted 26-9 to allow mixed martial arts fights in the state. If Gov. Dan Malloy signs the bill into law, New York would be the only state left with an MMA ban.

Also Wednesday, the Canadian House of Commons passed a bill legalizing certain fighting sports, including MMA.

Connecticut currently has MMA fights but only at its two Indian casinos, which are exempt from state laws. The XL Center in Hartford and Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport likely would host fights if the bill becomes law.

"One of the major reasons why I stand in support of this bill is because of the economic impact it will have to the state and also to the city I represent, and other cities,” said Sen. Andres Ayala, D-Bridgeport, according to the Connecticut Post.

Opponents like Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford, called the sport too vicious.

"This is a brutal sport, and I also think it speaks to the culture of violence," she said, via the Connecticut Post. "As a state, Connecticut's better than this."

Naturally, UFC President Dana White celebrated the vote.



Connecticut, Canada approve MMA fighting - CBSSports

The Connecticut General Assembly’s House of Representatives on May 7 passed bill HB-5277 by an overwhelming 117-26 vote.

On Wednesday, the bill passed the Senate, making Connecticut the forty-ninth state to legalize mixed martial arts.

UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner reacted to the news on Twitter. HB-5277 was sponsored by Rep. Charles Clemons (124th District) and Senator Andres Ayala (23rd District), along with more than 34 additional co-sponsors – including nine Senators, Democrats and Republicans.

“The bill had strong support in the Committee on Public Safety and Security; the Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding; and on the Floor of the House. The majority of Representatives – Democrats and Republicans know that this is the right thing to do for Connecticut,” said Rep. Clemons on May 8.

“The Governor still has to sign it. The vote total in the Senate was 26-9 and House 117-26, both overwhelming. Great day for MMA in North America with Canada and Connecticut. We’re pushing hard for New York. It’s not a question of if but when,” Ratner told MMAWeekly-com on Wednesday. ”The governor signature is just a formality.”

“UFC is eager to hold events in Hartford and Bridgeport and we know other national and regional MMA promoters look forward to holding events here as well,” said UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta when the bill passed the House of Representatives.

New York is the only state in the U.S. that has yet to legalize the sport of mixed martial arts.



Y! SPORTS

After a sudden release from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) earlier this year, featherweight Diego Nunes has found a new home, recently inking a deal with rival promotion Bellator MMA.

Brazilian outlet Ataque Total first reported the news on Saturday (June 7, 2013) and sources close to Bellator MMA later confirmed the signing of the 145-pound fighter.

It wasn't all that long ago when Nunes (18-4) was fighting Kenny Florian for the right to be the No. 1 contender in the featherweight division, and less than two years later he was booted from the promotion after just one loss in a row to Nik Lentz.

While "The Gun" was once known as one of the best featherweight fighters in the planet with career wins over Mike Brown, Raphael Assuncao, Manny Gamburyan and Bart Palaszewski, the 30-year-old was consistently unable to finish any opponents at the highest level of the sport.

In 11 appearances under ZUFFA-owned promotions UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), Nunes fought to a decision each and every time he stepped in the cage.

With an 145-pound weight class that is thin on contenders, Nunes would make for a great challenger to Bellator MMA champion Pat Curran if he is able to make it through the tournament format and earn a title shot.

Stay tuned to MMAmania-com for more information on a date and opponent for Nunes' Bellator MMA debut.



UFC/WEC veteran Diego Nunes signs with Bellator MMA - MMAmania-com

As the World Series of Fighting's third show draws near, a pair of disgruntled former UFC employees featured on the card have been stirring the pot quite a bit when it comes to the world of mixed martial arts needing a fighter's union. Jon Fitch and Jacob Volkmann were unceremoniously dumped by the UFC after losses at UFC 156 this past February and both have landed in WSoF. Both are featured on the main card and both have a bone to pick with their former employer.

Volkmann was discarded despite having a 6-4 record in the Octagon and having rode a five fight winning streak at lightweight before going 1-2 in his last three fights. Perhaps it was more his style than anything else -- Volkmann relies on wrestling and has been called "boring" in the past -- that saw him get his walking papers. Still, his being cut came as a minor shock to many. Meanwhile, Jon Fitch, who just so happens to have a similar style to Volkmann, but arguably more effective, was bounced even though he fought for the welterweight title in 2008. Fitch sported a 14-3-1 record in the UFC and constantly fought top shelf competition. However, after going 1-2-1 in his last four fights, he was cut loose.

Do both have valid reasons as to why they should be upset with their releases? Yes. But as they prepare to start their new lives as WSoF fighters on June 14, the two have become very vocal about how the UFC handles its fighters. Both have issues with fighter pay despite coming from two different perspectives and believe that a union for fighters is certainly in order. Fitch was commonly at the top of the card while Volkmann was often relegated to prelims or low end main cards.

"The idea that they're paying anyone enough money to where it would affect how they do business is a joke," Fitch said in an interview with MMA Junkie. "They have enough money to pay the fighters at the events from ticket sales, easily. That's not counting pay-per-views, merchandise and any of the other stuff that goes on - even the concessions at those arenas.

"I think their profit margins - the amount of money they make compared to amount of money they spend out compared to what they actually pay the fighters - I think they could spare quite a bit more. A lot of that comes down to management. You get the managers to grow a pair and really come together and fight for money for the athletes."

While UFC President Dana White has come down hard on Fitch for his statements, calling the former top contender "delusional," Fitch took to the web to explain his financial situation. The AKA fighter says that he made $1,022,000 for the 18 bouts he has had in the UFC from October 2005 to February 2013. In addition to that, he has been paid $302,000 in discretionary bonuses, bringing his total to $1,322,000. But compared to what Fitch believes the UFC makes, that isn't nearly enough.

"Sounds like a lot of money," he said in his recently released video. "But let's look at that a little bit closer. Out of the 18 fights in that fight purse, I paid 20 percent of that to management and the gym. So if you take that number, divide it by seven-and-a-half years, I was making roughly $176,000 a year before management and gym fees."

While that is more than enough for the average person to live off of, Fitch was one of the "medium to high pay grade" fighters in the UFC. Jacob Volkmann, on the other hand, didn't come close to making that amount.

"People always tell me, 'You're rich - you're on TV!' Are you kidding me?" Volkmann said in an interview with Above and Beyond MMA. "I made $54,000 two years ago, paid $9,000 in taxes, so that leaves me with $45,000. This last year, I made $50,000 and paid $8,000 in taxes. That leaves me with $42,000 - that's barely above poverty. I have three kids and a wife I'm supporting."

Volkmann has also taken to task the UFC's healthcare, which he says is pretty much non-existent and said that he paid $16,000 on medical expenses and health care premiums last year.

Interestingly enough, Volkmann and Fitch had never spoken to one another until the WSoF 3 conference call last week. Volkmann opened the discussion with Fitch by asking him his thoughts on getting a fighter's union started.

"I was wondering if Fitch wanted to get a fighter's union started for the UFC, to see if we can get a union started so fighters have a little better pay and a little more leverage in their contract," he asked. Fitch responded in the affirmative.

"That's something I've been talking about a lot lately," Fitch said. "I wouldn't so much go after the pay necessarily, but there are some things I would go after right away, which would be giving fighters a voice.

"We don't get a say in rules; we don't get a say in [testosterone-therapy replacement] use or marijuana use or anything. The commissions (and the promoters) decide everything. The fighters need a voice somewhere."

Volkmann suggested that offering fighters more job security would also benefit in the long run. "I would change the contract so it's not a four-fight (contract) and you can get cut after one fight," Volkmann said. "I would make it a two-year contract, minimum, and a minimum of two fights per year, and I would definitely change the minimum pay to be around $15,000 per fight. So at least they get paid $30,000 (per year) minimum for the fighter."

While this all sounds good in theory, the hard part is putting it in practice. Considering that the UFC holds pretty much all of the chips here, it's hard to believe that fighters within the organization will risk their status for a fighter's union. Not to mention that there are so many moving parts with top pay fighters vs. lower pay fighters, possible inability to have an actual strike considering the short length of the average fighter's career, managers willing (or unwilling) to fight for their needs, etc. that it will be difficult for them to come together on a unionized front with fear of upsetting the powers

Every fight fan loves a good knockout, but those that are truly memorable are the ones that occur unexpectedly. Often surprising, they are a constant reminder of the unpredictability of MMA.

Whether the fight is finished by the underdog or a knockout comes by way of spectacular means, something jaw-dropping seems to happen on almost every fight card.

In a sea of impressive knockouts, these stand as prime examples of the unexpected.


Pictures: Most Unexpected Knockouts in MMA History | Bleacher Report

An autopsy has revealed that the Hamilton man who died shortly after a Mixed Martial Arts event in Port Huron, Mich. back in April died as a result of a heart malfunction.

The St. Clair County Medical Examiners office in Port Huron issued a press release Tuesday stating that Felix Nchikwo had a cardiac arrhythmic disorder that caused sudden cardiac death. An arrhythmia is a change in the regular beat of the heart and is not considered to be a heart attack.

The press release said Felix Nchikwo collapsed shortly after a MMA fight in Port Huron on April 7, 2013 and was taken to Port Huron Hospital for treatment. He died a short time later.

The 35-year-old resident of Hamilton, Ont., who fought under the name Felix Pablo Elochukwu, lasted three rounds in the ring. Officials stopped the fight when Nchikwo showed signs he was having difficulty defending himself.

"He just had an MMA fight and he got a little exhausted and the fight was stopped," said Rick Joslin, founder of Joslin's Martial Arts, the gym where Nchikwo trained. "He was perfectly alright. He just got tired at the end, got a little dizzy. They gave him some juice and then he collapsed forward."

Joslin said Nchikwo, born in Nigeria, was a nice man who was quiet. "But he was a big boy and I think maybe the over-exertion from the fight was a little too much for him at that time.”

The AFC confirmed Nchikwo's death on its Facebook page.

"We lost a member of our MMA family and we would like to take this time to honour him," the posting read.

"This is a tragic turn of events. We will keep his family and friends in our prayers and we ask you to do the same. May God be with them in this devastating time of loss.”
Studied in Newfoundland

Nchikwo was living in Canada on a student visa. He had been studying at Memorial University in Newfoundland before moving to Hamilton about two years ago to pursue a career in MMA.

He was employed as a private security guard for a DJ who worked in several clubs on George Street, a hub for nightlife in St. John's.

“He came into our lives out of the blue, then he became a friend very quickly and he was well respected,” said Seamus Dooley, 26, who runs Flo Lounge, a bar where Nchikwo became a familiar face. "I would describe him as a gentle giant, no doubt."

Nchikwo got interested in MMA after a friend told him he'd be good at the sport, Dooley said.

“The more he looked into it, the more excited he got about it.”



Hamilton MMA fighter Elochukwu died in the ring from a heart malfunction - Hamilton

Mix Martial Artist and kickboxer James Wilson isn’t called “The Beast” for nothing. When he steps in to the ring – all 6’0 and 250 pounds of him – Wilson can take his opponents down in any number of ways: If he’s pinned against the cage inside of the octagon, Wilson can use his brute strength to maneuver out of the compromised position and slam the opposing fighter on to the ground. Or he can stand toe-to-toe and win the match with a knockout overhand blow, as was the case with Jim Johnson during a fight early last year.

Wilson is relatively short for a heavyweight – most fighters in his weight class stand around 6’2″ or taller – but he doesn’t think the extra inches he gives up puts him at a disadvantage.

“It’s not about the size, it is about the skill, the heart,” Wilson told NewsOne during a recent interview. “I believe I am the most-explosive heavyweight in the game. And yes, there are a lot of great fighters with more experience, but when ‘The Beast’ comes out, he is unstoppable!”

Wilson, 26, hopes “The Beast” in him will come out this weekend when he enters the ring Friday at the Hard Rock Casino in Tulsa, Okla., where he will fight in the “Road To Glory” Heavyweight kickboxing tournament he plans on winning.

Not bad for man who began training in Kempo Karate and boxing at the age of 24. Before that, he was playing football on full scholarship at Concord University in Athens, W.Va. But after watching an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match, Wilson’s days on the gridiron were numbered. [The match] immediately intrigued me,” he said. “I told my football teammates ‘I’m going to do that one day.’”

And just like that, the ex-running back and linebacker hung up his shoulder pads and laced up a pair of fight gloves for what has been an excellent start in the professional fight game. So far, Wilson has racked up a 3-0 record in MMA fights and a 6-1-1 record in K-1 Kickboxing.

Wilson sees himself being both the MMA and K-1 Kickboxing champion someday. It would be a remarkable accomplishment for the up-and-coming fighter, especially given his upbringing and troubled childhood.

Born south central Los Angeles, Wilson and his four siblings were raised by his mother. According to Wilson, growing up without a Father made his mother’s job of raising five children a near-impossible job.

“As much as she tried, she couldn’t stop me from getting into a gang and doing all the things I had no business doing,” he said. “It was a south central way of life: robbing, drinking, or shooting. I didn’t give a damn. I lost many friends to street violence and my one and only older brother. I was committing all types of crimes. We didn’t have a lot of money, so I did what I had to do to survive. There was a two-year period when we were homeless, sleeping in motels and a small car filled with all of our belongings. I was waking up early to take baths in the restroom of a recreation park before anyone I went to school with could see me.” The traps of street life would eventually catch up with Wilson. He was placed in a group home at the age of 14, where he would spend the next four years of his life.

“I can honestly say that was one of the best things that ever happened to me,” Wilson said. “My options were to have a stable and structured environment, where I can better myself or go to the California youth authority for 18 months, which is prison for minors. Good thing I choose placement.”

Indeed, Wilson is on track to trumpet one of those “started from the bottom, now we’re here” storylines that have drawn so many fans to MMA. His trainer, Savant Young, told NewsOne that MMA is so popular now that it has the potential to eventually overtake boxing in popularity someday.

“Whether it’s with young boys, grown men, or women, it is consistently growing,” Young said. “I started out as a martial artist doing karate long before MMA took off. In 1996, I started training in mixed combative [fighting] and it was a very different event — it wasn’t as trendy then.

“The fighters are getting better, and with my own Fight Academy here in Pasadena, Calif., I see and hear daily how many young kids and their parents are interested in MMA. Back in the day, parents would just take kids to Karate or Kung Fu.”

Wilson, who also trains teens during his free time, sees himself taking advantage of MMA’s relative newness to the American sports arena. Not only does he see himself dominating in the ring; he seems himself being to MMA what Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is to the boxing and endorsement worlds.

“I look at him and how he has evolved to be his absolute best,” Wilson said. “He went from a troubled kid to a family man, entrepreneur, business man, mogul, and philanthropist. I aspire to have that level of success in this sport and ultimately in business too.”

But, first thing’s first: Wilson has to take care of business this Friday in Tulsa. The young fighter is confident he’ll end the night with his hand raised as the sole victor.

“I plan on being crowned the champion by the end of the night,” he said. “After this fight it will established that I am one of the premier heavyweight kickboxers in the world.”



James Wilson MMA: James Wilson Seeks To Win Xtreme Fight Night In Tulsa | Breaking News for Black America

There are things their friends, and even their families, may not know about them.

Lisa Anderson, for example, an Edmonton educator-author and mother of four, has bungee-jumped before. She has also gone skydiving. She speaks fluent French, and can operate a combine.

Genevieve Gouin is a 42-year-old mother of three from Montreal with an appreciation for theatre and the arts. She always bakes her children's birthday cakes and is known for her specialty desserts, particularly tarte tatin. She's also an avid gardener, photographer and cross-country skier.

Joan Chang, 29, is a journalist who works for CBC Radio in Toronto, a self-described "girlie-girl" with an eye for fashion.

None of these women know the other, but each share an abiding passion for mixed martial arts, a sport that's often been characterized as brutal and violent. For these women, the Ultimate Fighting Championship - the top MMA circuit in the world - is a legitimate sporting entity, a breathtaking spectacle of skill and athleticism put on by modern-day gladiators.

"I don't know if my friends know (that I'm a fan of UFC)," says Anderson, 44. "Some may, some may not. I don't really care. I do think, though, that there are a lot more women who are fans than people think - and who don't necessarily fit the stereotype people have. "

The majority of fans are men, of course, but there are women, too, who are equally passionate about the sport as well as being knowledgeable and savvy.

Anderson comes from a family of wrestlers; her brother was one, and so was her husband. UFC is a natural extension of that. She attends MMA bouts in Edmonton, and watches UFC pay-for-view events at home or at the neighbourhood pub with her husband. She follows the Ultimate Fighter reality series on Spike TV. She even travelled to Las Vegas for UFC 98 to watch Edmonton fighter Tim Hague win his UFC debut.

She would happily be part of the crowd at Winnipeg's MTS Centre for UFC 161 Saturday night were it not for a dizzying schedule of family obligations.

Winnipeg is the fifth city in Canada to host the popular mixed martial arts com-petition, joining Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. The event was sold out almost as soon as it was announced. The 11-bout card - which includes a women's bantamweight tilt - will be shown on pay-per-view to 140 countries in 28 languages, giving the city arguably the biggest international exposure of any sports event it has ever hosted.

Tom Wright, director of UFC operations in Canada, for his part, was taken aback - but pleasantly so - by the sheer number of women he saw at UFC events when he became its director of Canadian operations three years ago.

"I always made a point of speaking to people about their experience, and I was amazed by how many of them were women," says Wright, then laughs. "Maybe I shouldn't have been, though. I have three daughters; they're all fans."

Wright is the former commissioner of the Canadian Football League. He says Canadian-specific research conducted last year for the UFC shows that women make up 37 per cent of the country's fan base.

"That's a little more than a third of our fans," he says.

More women than men follow the UFC on Facebook, and are likely to "share" related information and events with friends. They also cite the "pureness" of the sport as one of its biggest draws. And while there's no gender-specific research, Wright says, in general, UFC fans in Canada over-index in education and in household income, meaning they exceed the national average of the population in both of those areas.

Samantha Lawrence did her own research about female MMA fans in 2009. Now 31, she was a sociology grad at Edmonton's Grant Mac-Ewan University at the time and a passionate consumer of everything MMA. She undertook the research as part of her honours thesis.

She says while female fans of mixed martial arts events were always "highly visible," not much was known about who they were.

She went in search of answers.

"I was interested in the ages of the women in this study," she says. "I wanted to explore whether the majority of women who 'consumed' mixed martial arts were in the 18-to-34 age range, similar to the target male demographic for the UFC."

In the end, the women who responded were between 19 and 43. They were also well-educated; half had a high-school diploma, nearly 30 per cent had a university degree, and one woman even had a master's degree.

Perhaps most surprising, though, was the respondents' reluctance to share their passion with others, particularly those close to them. Lawrence says when she asked the women whether the people who knew them best - family and friends - were aware of their passion for the sport, several said 'no.'

"I think the women perceived that they were violating gendered scripts of what was appropriate feminine behaviour and experience," says Lawrence.

Read more: MMA fans defy the usual stereotypes

Some call it a blood sport, but the local Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community is set to receive a huge boost following Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s promise to help develop the sport further in the country.

Khairy, who was the guest of honour at the inaugural Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA) Championships at Stadium Negara on Saturday, said he was very impressed with the strong turn-out at the championships.

“Besides the Philippines, we’re probably one of the most vibrant MMA communities in South-East Asia. I hope to lend my support (to MMA) as a growing sport in Malaysia.”

For starters, Khairy wants the local MMA organisers to set up an MMA association and register themselves with the Sports Commissioner.

“I’ve asked Jason Lo, one of the organisers of the MIMMA, and the others involved in the sport to come together and set up an association. They have to make it official first.

Then, we can start the ball rolling and start channelling some assistance ... especially funds for development,” said Khairy.

Meanwhile, it was an exciting affair at the MIMMA Championships as home grown talent Keanu Subba proved he was a class above his opponent in the featherweight category.

The 18-year-old from Kuala Lumpur kept to his promise on only needing one round to beat Muhd Ikram. He took the title by beating the Negri Sembilan fighter in 29 seconds.

In the One FC Superfights, Malaysia’s Peter Davis was stopped by Costa Rica’s Ariel Sexton in four minutes and 50 seconds in the first round via a technical knockout.

Compatriot Saiful “The Vampire” Merican fared better in the catch-weight category. He beat India’s Aditya Deshpande by a unanimous decision in round five.






Khairy plans to develop Mixed Martial Arts

The connection between MMA and pro wrestling is something that most fans of mixed martial arts seem reluctant to acknowledge.

As something of a masochist, I spend more time than I should reading comments sections of MMA websites.

One thing I’ve noticed from this ceaselessly exasperating pastime is that stories even tangentially related to pro wrestling tend to provoke the kind of backlash ordinarily reserved for Fallon Fox articles.

This reaction seems to stem from a misunderstanding of what pro wrestling actually is. The “sport” has been so thoroughly maligned for myriad reasons that many people—and particularly MMA fans—are eager to avoid being associated with it.

So in light of this confusion, what follows is a list of five misconceptions MMA fans have about pro wrestling.


Pictures: 5 Misconceptions MMA Fans Have About Professional Wrestling | Bleacher Report