MMAlowdown changes

MMAlowdown is changing servers and it is taking a little longer than anticipated. We originally thought it would not interrupt our coverage, however, we were wrong.

We will be working diligently to get the new site up and running by tonight. If not tonight, then hopefully by tomorrow.

Unfortunately, the change is taking up all of our time, leaving no time for updates. I hope you guys understand and keep checking back to MMAlowdown.com and we will be up and running ASAP.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

bodogFIGHT reality series

I reported last week that Jake Shields had signed a deal to participate in the bodogFIGHT reality series, though at the time of the article his opponent was still unknown. It appears now that he will be squaring off with fellow welterweight Ray Steinbiess.

The Fight Network has released the participants and match-ups for seasons 3 and 4, however it is still unknown which match-ups will be relegated to which season. It appears Bodog has been very busy signing some of the top talent in MMA. Some of the more prominant fighters signed to participate in the reality series are: Jake Shields, Daniel Puder, Yves Edwards, Nick Thompson, Chael Sonnen, and Trevor Prangley, among others. The match-ups for seasons 3 and 4 are as follows:

BodogFIGHT’s Season Three and Four Match-Ups

Lightweights

Brad Pickett (UK) vs. JR Sims (USA)
Nick Agallar (USA) vs. Ryan Bow
Rafael Diaz (USA/Brazil) vs. Sami Aziz (Sweden)
Yves Edwards (USA) vs. Scott McAfee
Tyler Jackson (Canada) vs. Kyle Watson (USA)
David Love vs. Atsuhiro Tsuboi

Welterweights

Eddie Alvarez (USA) vs. Scott Henze (USA)
Nick Thompson (USA) vs. Dustin Denes (USA)
Stephen Haigh (USA) vs. Takuya Wada (Japan)
Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons (Brazil) vs. Phil Norman (UK)
Piotr Jakacynzki (Sweden) vs. Steve Berger (USA)
Zach Light vs. Jake Ellenberger (USA)
Jake Shields vs. Ray Steinbiess

Middleweights

Chael Sonnen (USA) vs. Tim McKenzie (USA)
Trevor Prangley (USA) vs. Pierre Guillet (UK)
Matt Ewin (UK) vs. Andrei Semenov (Russia)
Grzegorz Jakubowski (Poland) vs. Andy Foster (USA)
Izuru Takeuchi vs. Kyacey Uscola (USA)
Eugene Jackson vs. Diego Visotzky (Argentina)

Light Heavyweights

Mike Patt (USA) vs. Todd Gouwenberg (Canada)
Francis Carmont (France) vs. Jeff Ford (USA)
Antony Rea (France) vs. David Avellan (USA)
Moise Rimbon (France) vs. Alex Stiebling (USA)

Heavyweights

Mario Rinaldi (USA) vs. Roy Nelson (USA)
Mark Burch (USA) vs. Yoshiki Takahashi (Japan)
Kellan Flukinger (USA) vs. Miodrag Petkovich (USA)
Dan Evensen (USA) vs. Jeremiah Constant (USA)
Daniel Puder (USA) vs. Michael Alden

Women (under 125 lbs)

Rosie Sexton (UK) vs. Windy Tomomi (Japan)
Carina Damm (Brazil) vs. Molly Helsel (USA)

Women (Under 135 lbs)

Tara LaRosa (USA) vs. Shayna Baszler (USA)
Tama-Chan (Japan) vs. Jan Finney (USA)

The new seasons of the Bodog reality series are yet to be named and, like the first season, will be shot in Costa Rica.

If these new seasons are like the first, then the only ways to watch them will be on The Fight Network in Canada, Bodog’s website, or The Men’s Channel.

If anymore breaking news becomes available I will pass it along.

MMAlowdown announcement

You might have noticed the link on the top right of the website, well, MMAlowdown is very happy to announce that we have teamed up with the official UFC online store. Basically what this means is if anybody clicks on the link on the website and buys stuff from the official UFC store, we get a small commission.

We really hope we can count on you guys for help. I am not asking for you to just go buy stuff for the hell of it, but if you are planning on buying any UFC or MMA merchandise, it would really help if you could buy it through the link on MMAlowdown.com.

I am not looking to line my pockets with the commissions. All proceeds will be going towards future fighter sponsorships as well as website improvements and maintenance. I have a full time job for my bills, this is strictly for the website.

We already have some improvements in the works that will be happening soon. For starters, MMAlowdown will be changing web hosts within the next week or so. This will make a huge difference for the better.

I really look forward to providing you guys with the best MMA merchandise on the net. Anybody we choose to affiliate our website with will be the best of the best. We will not settle for less. You can rest assured that if you ever use any service provided by an affiliate of MMAlowdown, you are getting top-notch products and service, and we take pride in that.

I would really like to know what you guys think about this change. As always you can leave a comment or shoot me an email at mmalowdown@hotmail.com.

Interview with Chad Bergmeier

I was lucky enough to have an interview with Chad Bergmeier recently. Chad is a very successful mma manager and promoter. Chad has been around since 1997 and he has promoted over 120 shows and he manages around 40 fighters, some of which are; John Halverson, who will be fighting Roger Huerta this saturday at UFC 67. Clay French, who recently won the KOTC championship from Mac Danzig, Danzig will be fighting Hayato Sakurai at PRIDE “The Second Coming” on Feb. 24th. Joe Pearson, who recently lost a fight for the WEC featherweight champioship against Urijah Faber. And also Travis Fulton and Joe Jordan, just to name a few. Chad works alongside Monte Cox, and together they form one of the most successful management teams in MMA today.

If you have ever wondered what it is like to manage fighters, promote events, or perhaps you would like to start a career yourself, or maybe you are a young up and coming fighter looking for some advice, well then this is definitely the interview for you. 

News and notes

Just catching up on some news from today. I left for work right after I wrote the column on Jon Fitch so I didn’t have time to catch you guys up on some other tid-bits. Here are some other news and notes from today:

• Dave Meltzer from Wrestlingobserver.com reported in his most recent newsletter that UFC 66, while it didn’t reach the goal of 1.2 million buys the UFC set forth, did become the biggest non boxing Pay Per View event in North American history. Preliminary estimates are slightly in excess of 1 million buys. That would put the total PPV revenue in the neighborhood of $40 million. Meltzer is widely regarded as the best inside reporters in pro wrestling as well as mma, with sources in every major promotion’s front office.

• If you haven’t gone over to Sportspickem.com to sign up for the UFC 67 picks, you are definitely missing out. It is completely free and only takes a minute to sign up. The winner will be receiving UFC Ultimate Knockouts 1 and 2 DVDs. MMAlowdown.com is the official sponsor of the contest and myself, Keith, and possibly Dann from UFCjunkie.com will be coming up with something for future contest, so you should definitely head over to Sportspickem.com to get in on the action.

• Joe Pearson, who lost to Urijah Faber for the WEC featherweight title on Jan. 20th, failed his pre-fight drug test for marijuana, or THC. This is some sad news that hopefully won’t look too bad for mma because it shouldn’t. Although it is a failed drug test, Joe is not a cheater, he is just a kid who has a bad habit and could use some help. Nothing more, nothing less. I really hope Joe bounces back from this, He is a gritty competitor who always puts forth a great effort.

• The Fight Network is also reporting that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and PRIDE newcomer Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, out of Team Quest, has been added to PRIDE “the Second Coming” on Feb. 24th in Las Vegas. Sokoudjou is a U.S. Open Judo champion and newcomer to MMA with a 2-1 record. He had olympic aspirations in Judo but was unable to compete due to visa complications.

I will have a great interview posted either tomorrow or the day after. Be sure to check back for that. It is really one of a kind. For now I need to get some rest.

Jon Fitch is a feared man

Jon Fitch is one of the most underrated and underutilized fighters in the UFC. People on the forums always ask why he doesn’t fight more or get the good opponents and the respect he deserves.

Given the chance Fitch could be up there with the cream of the crop in the stacked welterweight division of the UFC. The fact is his fights are never given the attention and marketing he deserves. The reasons for this are he doesn’t fight often and the quality of opponents he faces are not on the same level as him.

A recent article on fcfighter.com shed some light on this issue.

Joe Silva, the UFC’s matchmaker, told Fitch’s manager that he has never had such a hard time finding opponents for a fighter. Fitch attributes that to the fact that none of his opponents, win or lose, walk away without getting injured.

At UFC 68, Fitch will be squaring off against Luigi Fiorvanti. Although this is not a match with title implications, Fiorvanti is an accomplished fighter and a win by Fitch will provide him with some valuable experience. This will be Fiorvanti’s first fight at welterweight since making the cut from middleweight.

Thankfully this match will even be taking place because, according to Fitch, Fiorvanti stepped up to take the fight after a very lengthy list of UFC welterweights thought better of getting into the octogon with Fitch. I can’t say I blame them.

Fitch is 12-2 in MMA and 4-0 in UFC with wins over Kuniyoshi Hironaka, Thiago Alves, Josh Burkman, and Brock Larson. He also holds a win over Shonie Carter in Shooto.

Whether fighters keep ducking him or not, one thing is for sure; if Fitch keeps up his dominant ways, soon the top of the division will be forced to take notice. Welterweights in the UFC be advised; Jon Fitch is here to stay and as long as he keeps taking guys out, sooner or later you will have to acknowledge him.

Rumormill: “Mayhem” to WEC

People always ask “Who is your favorite fighter?” The truth is; I don’t have just one “favorite” fighter. I like so many fighters and root for them all to do good things, but to choose one over everyone else is impossible.

Some of my favorites are; Tito Ortiz, Karo Parisyan, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Wanderlei Silva, and the list goes on forever.

Somewhere very high on that list is “Mayhem” Miller. Few mixed martial artists blend wrestling, jiu jitsu, kick boxing, and charisma like he does. He is on a level all his own.

On March 24th 2007, the cult hero will grace the WEC with his presence, according to mmaweekly.com, against an opponent not yet known. Although this is only a rumor at this point, mmaweekly is usually spot on with this stuff, having some of the best sources in mma media.

This will be the WEC’s second show under the Zuffa banner. On Jan. 20th the WEC put on a show in Las Vegas in which “Razor” Rob McCullough dismantled Kit Cope in under 3 minutes to claim the vacant lightweight championship. Urijah Faber also retained his featherweight title via TKO over Joe Pearson, former PRIDE fighter.

Some people may be upset that “Mayhem” is not going to compete in the UFC, and justifiably so. “Mayhem” has stated that he will continue to fight for Icon Sport, out of Hawaii, which he is under contract with. “Mayhem” lost his Icon Sport middleweight title to Frank Trigg in December.

The UFC would not, under any circumstances, let an athlete compete in their organization while still under contract with another promotion. It would be pointless because they would be unable to push him for a title shot. I guess they are not so strict with the WEC.

At any rate, “Mayhem” should make a huge splash in the WEC, which is growing more and more everyday. I am sure plenty of “Mayhem Monkeys” will be in attendance.

Also rumored to be fighting is Razor Rob McCullough, who will be making his first defense of his lightweight title against Rich Crunkilton. Here is the rest of the rumored card courtesy of mmaweekly.com:

WEC (2ND SHOW UNDER ZUFFA OWNERSHIP): MARCH 24, 2007
Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

-Rob McCullough vs. Rich Crunkilton
-Doug Marshall vs. Jorge Oliveira
-Jason Miller vs. TBA
-Jesse Moreng vs. TBA

This event will not be shown live. Highlights from the event will be shown this summer on the Versus Network.

Koscheck vs. Sanchez confirmed for UFC 69

Two of the top 10 welterweights in the world are set to do battle at UFC 69 in April. Kos confirmed on a bulletin from Myspace that he will indeed get in the octagon with Diego in Houston.

This match first took place  in TUF season 1 with Diego pulling out the close decision in a 2 round exhibition match.

The stakes are raised this time. Everytime one of these two athletes gets into the octagon, he wins, and everyone on every forum says they deserve a title shot. Well this time you may just get your wish.

The winner of this match will be the number one contender. I honestly believe the UFC will see it this way as well.

Koscheck has been very vocal about wanting a rematch with Diego. In his bulletin he says that he has been asking the UFC to set this up for the last year. It appears he has gotten his wish. As the saying goes; be careful what you wish for.

Diego is on a hot streak that has been matched by very few people. Everytime he gets into the octogon he silences the critics. A lot of people think that he is not invincible and he has chinks in his armor. All I have to say to them is; the proof is in the pudding.

So who do I think will win this showdown? I’m glad you asked.

Both of these fighters are improving by leaps and bounds every time they step into the octagon. And with the fight taking place in April, it gives them plenty more time to improve.

I would be hard pressed to pick against Diego. People always pick him to lose and every time he proves them wrong.

Greg Jackson’s camp is the place to be nowadays. With Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, Nate Marquardt, and Diego Sanchez, Jackson is putting together one hell of a stable. Jackson is the mastermind credited with his fighters success. The man knows how to win.

In closing, I look for Diego to emerge victorious. That will set up one of the best title matches in the history of MMA. A year from now, we might have a different outcome, but the fact is that Koscheck is a work in progress and Diego is a finished product.

Regardless of who I pick, anything can happen, and that is why they fight the fights. Thank god for that.

Georges St. Pierre signs extension

Some would say that Georges St. Pierre is the best pound for pound fighter in the world. I would be hard pressed to argue otherwise.
Fresh off his dominant victory one of the best welterweights in MMA history, Matt Hughes, Dana White is taking no chances with his new golden boy, locking GSP up for at least his next six fights, according to fcfighter.com. His new contract will go into effect immediately, replacing his current contract which has two fights left on it.

People may say that the UFC underpays its fighters but one thing is for sure; they know how to take care of their marquee names.  GSP’s new mega-deal will make him one of the top three paid fighters in the UFC according to GSP’s agent; Stephane Patry.

Patry commented that the negotiations were difficult at times but an agreement was eventually reached.

St. Pierre is riding a wave of success that is unmatched in the UFC, winning his last five fights against a who’s who of mixed martial artists inclucing; BJ Penn, Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, “Mayhem” Miller, and the aforementioned Matt Hughes.

Dana White has made no secret of the fact that he would like GSP to be the poster boy of the UFC. Why wouldn’t he? St. Pierre is a phenomenal athlete, intelligent, good looking, and he attracts the Canadian crowd.

The plan was to have GSP headline UFC 69 in Montreal, Canada in a rubber match with Matt Hughes but those plans fell through and the event will now be held in Houston, Texas. If St. Pierre’s knee injury heals in time, the delayed title defense against TUF 4 winner Matt Serra will headline the card in Houston.

You can get used to seeing the welterweight strap around the waist of GSP. With his mix of talent and explosiveness, he is in a league all his own. Now it is up to Joe Silva to put those six fights to good use. Something tells me he will.

ESPN to cover mma

According to Colin Cowherd of ESPN radio, the “upper moustaches” at ESPN are going to have a meeting to discuss how they will cover mma. The higher-ups at ESPN feel that they “missed the bus on covering mma” and are working out details on how to cover it. Dana White was also asked last night after the Ultimate Fight Night event if he knew if ESPN would eventually cover mma and his response was that he was having a meeting with them on thursday to go over details of the coverage, according to www.f4wonline.com‘s radio show (which you need to subscribe to in order to hear) . You need to be an ESPN insider, which costs around $75 a year, to hear Colin Cowherd’s show about the meeting ESPN was having pertaining to mma. Luckily for you bastards I am a member and I was able to save the audio and host it online. You can hear the full show by clicking here. What was that? a thank you? Oh, dont worry, it was my pleasure. Colin also goes on quite an amusing rant about how the WNBA is covered and mma is not.

This is what mma fans have been asking for as long as I can remember. I just hope they do it the right way and cover mma, not just UFC. I would be very surprised if they took my advice though. But hey, as they say, any publicity is good publicity.

As soon as more info on the outcome of the meeting becomes available I will pass it along. As always, stay tuned to MMAlowdown.com for all your mma needs. I keep promising that I have some big things in the works and a couple big announcements to make, please bare with me and as soon as the time is right I will make it public. You won’t be dissappointed. Also, please give me some feedback via email or the comments section and let me know what you think about the site so far. Remember to check us out at Myspace and MyMMAspace as well.