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  Television’s toughest reality series returns for its ninth season as ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ premieres on Virgin 1, Sunday April 5 at 11pm.

 

Over 1000 of the best undiscovered mixed martial artists from two continents auditioned for the new season, all hoping to make it all the way to the finale, where one welterweight and one lightweight will win a six-figure contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship(R).

 

This season though, it is country v country as UK star Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping leads a team of British hopefuls against US Olympian and former two-division world MMA champion Dan Henderson’s United States team. The hit show is a 12 x 1 hour reality series with a multi hour finale based around the world’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, The Ultimate Fighting Championship(R).

 

Marshall Zelaznik, the President of the UFC’s UK Division, said: “This season will be the most exciting ever with not just a pair of six-figure UFC contracts on the line but also national pride. None of these fighters wants to let his country down and – with so much on the line – the fights themselves are the most spectacular in TUF history.

 

“I can think of no better mixed martial artist than Bisping to lead the British into battle. Not only is Mike the most successful fighter to emerge from the UK, but as a former TUF champion from season 3, Mike knows exactly what it takes to win this thing.”

 

Daniela Neumann, Director of Programmes for Virgin1, said: “The Ultimate Fighter is a very strong brand with a very loyal following. UK vs USA is the perfect way to bring the fighting brand to our audience. Of course we know who we are rooting for.”

 

Season nine of the wildly successful original series, “The Ultimate Fighter,” features 16 lightweights (155lbs, 11stone 1lbs) and 16 welterweights (170lbs, 12stone 2lbs).

 

In the first two episodes the 32 contestants must fight their way into the Ultimate Fighter House by winning a preliminary bout; only the winners will be flown to Las Vegas to the Ultimate Fighter house to live and train alongside UFC icons Bisping and Henderson.

 

During the six-week taping of “The Ultimate Fighter: United States Vs. United Kingdom,” the 16 men who survived the prelims endured a gruelling daily regimen of Jiu-jitsu, judo, Muay Thai, karate, boxing and wrestling. The intense competition between the fighters continues after they leave the gym as these modern day gladiators must live together in the same house, knowing that any day they may be called upon to fight each other in the famed UFC Octagon™.

 

Each victory brings the fighter closer to his dream of a contract with the world’s elite mixed martial arts organisation. The four finalists will square off in a live finale Saturday, June 20, when the two weight class winners will be declared “The Ultimate Fighter”.

 

 

 - The news is huge for MMA fans and the UFC in Blighty, giving the sport huge exposure on Virgin 1 a channel free to view on if you own a standard Freeview receiver or use Virgin Media or Sky. It is a fantastic deal giving the sport much needed exposure to the wider public of the UK. 

A good move from Virgin Media, Setanta and the UFC by giving the weekly reality TV style fight show for free giving TUF 9 an audience of over 22 million UK homes.

Plus it will give people a reason to subscribe to Setanta Sports to see the big events including the TUF 9 final and UFC 100 that is scheduled to feature Dan ‘Hendo’ Henderson and Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping in the battle of the team coaches.

So make sure you see it first this Sunday at 11pm on Virgin 1! If you do happen to miss and are a subscriber to Setanta Sport don’t worry as you can catch it again on Wednesday at 10pm.

 

All we need next is for Strikeforce to strike up a deal on British television. TUF on Virgin 1 is sure to do well so there is a possibility a competitor to Virgin 1 such as Channel 5 could pick it up.

What a great start to British summertime for mixed martial arts fans.

Former WWE wrestler Bobby Lashley and MMA legend Ken Shamrock

March Badness – pro boxing/MMA PPV March 21^st in Pensacola, Florida.

This past weekend – March 21^st former WWE pro wrestler Bobby Lashley was scheduled to face MMA legend Ken Shamrock, a fight with huge crossover appeal for fans of both mixed martial and professional wrestling. Shamrock the aging MMA competitor had bulked up in weight to fight Lashley in the MMA headline heavyweight clash. What made this event even more important is the idea of combining bouts of MMA alongside boxing. This was no small time card – Eight-time world boxing champion Roy Jones Jr was right at the top of the bill against 4-time world title challenger Omar Sheika for this mammoth boxing and MMA event.

Bobby Lashley had an opponent all ready to face him on March 21^st - Ken Shamrock but it wasn’t to be. Seeing as the legendary fighter had managed to gain such a large amount of muscle mass it was no little surprise at his age Shamrock would fail a test for performance enhancement drug Steroids. Shamrock is known as a light heavyweight competitor and needed to gain a lot of muscle in stepping up against huge heavyweight Lashley. This incident has got to taint the future of Shamrock’s career inside the cage or ring of MMA competition. Shamrock is clearly past his prime but the fact is he still has the pulling power to sell tickets and PPV buys. Ken is a recognised icon of the sport having been a part of the first UFC shows. He seriously ought to reconsider what his future is in MMA but you cannot blame him continuing to fight when he is able to earn big bucks plus he each time he is helping get over his opponent and make a name for the promotion that books him.

Back to March Badness and the search was on for Shamrock’s replacement. So who would replace Shamrock? The replacement was Jason Guida, brother of popular UFC contracted fighter Clay Guida. Not an MMA fighter with Shamrock’s star status but a good mixed martial artist by all accounts to face 3-time NCAA champion Bobby Lashley.

With a relatively short build up to their fight things got heated between the pairing in the press conference promoting the show. Guida took a verbal pop shot at Lashley dissing his credentials as a real fighter being known as a former WWE pro wrestler. What he seemed to be forgetting is like the other MMA monster and former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar, Lashley boasts a successful amateur wrestling background as 4-time All-America wrestler at Missouri Valley College and was a 2-time Armed Forces Champion and 2002 Military Games Championship silver medalist. This man is THE REAL DEAL! Don’t be fooled into believing he is a black Hulk Hogan, Lashley is the black Brock Lesnar!

Having just one round of MMA experience Lashley gained himself 3 more rounds of experience winning the fight on a unanimous decision from the judges. Tough veteran Jason Guida nearly snatched victory in the third round sinching in a guillotine choke but it wasn’t Guida’s night as the much stronger and bigger Bobby Lashley powered out of the hold.

So second MMA fight for Lashley and another victory in the bag. It will be interesting to see who he fights next as his MMA career gains momentum, I just hope we have the opportunity to see it on telly in the UK next time.

Here are all the results:

MMA

-Jeff Monson def. Roy Nelson by Unanimous Decision

-Bobby Lashley def. Jason Guida by Unanimous Decision

-Dennis Hallman def. Danny Ruiz by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:50, R1

-James Freeman def. John Mowry by KO (Punch) at 2:38, R1

-Din Thomas def. Gabe Lemley by TKO (Knee) at 4:13, R1

BOXING

-Roy Jones Jr. def. Omar Sheika by TKO at 1:45, R5

(Jones wins vacant NABO light heavyweight title)

-B.J. Flores def. Jose Luis Herrera by Unanimous Decision

(Flores wins vacant NABO junior heavyweight title)

-Kelvin Price def. Kevin Howard by Majority Decision

-Richmond Dalphone def. Eric Clinton by Unanimous Decision

-Kieyon Bussey def. Robert DaLuz by Majority Decision

by Dynamite Duane

MMA results, reviews, news, views, previews and pundit predictions!

 

Following the Quintion ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s defeat over Keith Jardine in the main event of UFC 96 it seemed to all be inked in that Rampage would challenge current unchallenged ‘Sugar’ Rashad Evans but no sir not this time Rampage. It seems fate has dealt a good hand for Lyoto Machida as he gets the huge opportunity of headlining UFC 98 as the challenger for the Light Heavyweight gold!

 

According to reports following UFC 96 Rampage discovered his jaw pain turned out to be torn ligaments. So Quinton will under go surgery plus five weeks of no contact. On top of all that Jackson also hyper extended his left elbow from fighting Jardine.

Rampage may have come out the victor looking pretty good but he received some nasty punishment from the Dean of Mean himself.

 

Lyoto being booked into the headline bout against Rashad keeps the scene fresh within the top of the UFC Light Heavyweight bracket. Lyoto deserves the shot and his fighting is interesting to watch. Machida is sure to have the backing of many fans in this upcoming confrontation, whereas Rashad is not the most liked of fighters despite an impressive list wins. Having beaten fan favourite Forrest Griffin does not endear him to the masses.

 

So what treats have Ultimate Fight fans got coming their way during April from the Zuffa brand?

 

Coming up in April will be UFC Fight Night 18 headlined by Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann, on Wednesday, April 1st live from Sommet Center in Nashville, TN.

 

The following night Thursday 2nd April is time for the premiere of every fight fans favourite reality TV show, yes you got it, it is TUF time! The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 pits the Brits against the Yanks, as Michael Bisping coaches the team representing the UK to rival Team USA coached by fellow UFC Middleweight competitor Dan ‘Hendo’ Henderson.

 

The series will be shown every week in the UK on Setanta Sports and Spike TV in the USA.

 

Check out the list below for the cast of The Ultimate Fighter Season 9:

 

U.S. welterweights

 

Ryan Biglar (2-1): Biglar, 24, is a jiu-jitsu fighter originally from Guam who represents the Cobra Kai in Las Vegas.

Ray Elbe (20-11): A Muay Thai fighter, the 25-year-old Elbe has spent the last three years working on his game in Phuket, Thailand. The most notable man he’s faced was Renato Verissimo, who knocked him out in 2003.

Christian Fulgium (6-2-1): A wrestler, Fulgium represents the Gladiator camp in Lafayette, La.

DaMarques Johnson (13-6): Johnson took up MMA training while in the military. Training out of Elite Performance in Salt Lake City, Johnson once faced former World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion Brock Larson, who submitted him in a 2005 bout.

Kevin Knabjian (10-3-1): A wrester from Eastern Illinois University, the same school that produced UFC star Matt Hughes, the one-time WEC fighter trains at Gilbert Grappling in Chicago.

Mark Miller (10-4): A Muay Thai fighter also based in Chicago, Miller trains at Dino Costeas MMA and Toro Muay Thai.

Jason Pierce (9-0): A one-time collegiate soccer player, Pierce trains with the vaunted Miletich Fighting Systems camp in Bettendorf, Iowa.

Kiel Reid (8-1): A native of Bettendorf, Reid also trains with Miletich, whose experience includes a 2004 fight against UFC veteran Luigi Fiorvanti.

 

U.S. lightweights

 

Paul Bird (4-1): A striker, Bird trains at Des Moines (Iowa) MMA. He has fought in the Midwest Cage Championships promotion.

Santino DeFranco (13-4): A wrestler and jiu-jitsu specialist, DeFranco has experienced fighting in the now-defunct International Fight League. He also helped coach Efrain Escudero, the TUF 8 winner.

Jason Dent (19-9): A submission specialist, Dent runs his own gym in Mentor, Ohio, at Griffon Brawl. He is a UFC veteran who has losses to Roger Huerta and Gleison Tibau.

Cameron Dollar (4-1): Dollar trains in Colorado Springs, Colo., and is a former teammate of TUF alums Cory Hill and Noah Thomas.

Tom Hayden (4-0): A submission fighter, Hayden is trained by popular UFC veteran Jorge Gurgel in West Chester, Ohio.

Waylon Lowe (5-2): Lowe, 28, also fights for Gurgel.

Josh Souder (7-2): A member of Team Prodigy, Souder has faced castmate Jason Dent in 2005, losing by TKO.

Richie Whitson (4-0): A native Alaskan who trains with Team Quest in Temecula, Calif., Whitson is a heavy-handed striker.

 

U.K. welterweights

 

Dean Amarasinghe (4-1): A grappler from Nottingham, England, Amarasinghe trains at Rough House Gym.

James Bateman (2-1): A striker, Bateman trains at Grimsby NHB in Grimsby, England.

David Faulkner (2-1): A member of the Wolfslair team that features U.K. coach Michael Bisping and UFC star Quinton Jackson, Faulkner is a submissions expert.

Tommy Maguire (5-2): The 20-year-old Maguire is a striker who works with the Tsunami Gym in Wisbech, England.

Che Mills (7-2): A tall welterweight at 6-foot-2, Mills works with ex-UFC fighter Mark Weir’s Range Fighting Gym.

Nicholas Osipczak (3-0): Osipczak trains in London with Pancrase UK. He’s finished all of his fights in the first round.

Alex Reid (10-9-1): Reid, 33, trains in London with the London Shoot Fighters. He’s faced notable opponents such as Murilo Rua, Tony Fryklund, Dave Menne and Jorge Rivera.

James Wilks (5-2): Trained by veteran Eric Paulson in Orange County, Calif., the 30-year-old Wilks is a striker.

 

U.K. lightweights

 

James Bryan (3-1): A striker, Bryan, 25, is from Somerset, England.

Dan James (3-0): A striker from Swansea, Wales, he’s finished two of his three pro bouts.

Gary Kelly (2-1): A striker, the 25-year-old Kelly trains alongside Bisping and Jackson at Wolfslair in Liverpool, England.

Jeff Lawson (13-2): A submission fighter with 12 finishes, Lawson trains with Team Bulldog in Dorset, England.

Ross Pearson (9-3): A striker, Pearson trains at Sunderland Jiu-Jitsu & MMA Club in Sunderland, England.

Martin Stapleton (5-1): A Muay Thai fighter, Stapleton is a product of Quannum Combat Arts.

A.J. Wenn (7-2): A well-rounded fighter from the Tsunami Gym, Wenn is from Cambs, England.

Andre Winner (9-2-1): Winner is a member of the Rough House team in London and is coming off a loss and a draw in his two fights prior to appearing on the show.

U.S. coach Dan Henderson: A two-time Olympic wrestler, Henderson is the only man to have simultaneously held two weight-class championships in PRIDE. He was the organization’s light heavyweight and middleweight champion and is one of the top fighters in the UFC.

 

U.K. coach Michael Bisping: Bisping was the light heavyweight winner on Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He has gone on to become one of the world’s top middleweights. His only loss was a disputed decision to current UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.

 

TUF season 9 info Sourced from MMAJunkie.com

 

Keep your browser pointing at bluraymma.com  – the new place for the best in MMA and Ultimate Fighting!

 

by Dynamite Duane

MMA results, reviews, news, views, previews and pundit predictions!

 

 

Welcome to bluraymma.com – sister website to blurayufc.com. A brand new website and a brand new place to catch up with the world of Mixed Martial Arts, all the big pay per view fights from inside the UFC octagon and between the ropes of Affliction’s squared circle. Not only that you will be able to hear all the latest news building up to the PPVs along with all the rumours plus views, previews and pundit predictions!

 

A little bit about me, I am a long time fan of pro wrestling having followed the WWF / WWE since the mid to later 80s so don’t be surprised if one or two pro wrestling references appear in my writing!  Not being one to enjoy taking a battering with the likes of Randy Couture or Brock Lesnar instead I practise the ancient Chinese art of Tai Chi Chuan. Other than that I love old school Hip Hop, Rare groove with a bit of classic dance music for my listening pleasures!

 

Without further a do let’s get started with a round up of the most recent MMA happenings.

 

MIR & LESNAR – UFC 100 & RASHAD HEADLING AT UFC 98

 

Following a whirlwind 24 hours of change, misinformation, and misdirection, the fog surrounding Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar’s UFC heavyweight unification bout – originally scheduled for UFC 98 on May 23 – has cleared.

 

After various statements that he was in contrasting others that he was out, Mir appeared on the UFC 96 pay-per-view broadcast to clear the air.

 

Mir confirmed the knee injury first reported by MMAWeekly.com, saying, “My knee finally just went. It’s an injury I’ve always just sucked up and went with. A week ago they scoped my knee and took out… bone fragments and some scar tissue.”

 

And with that, Mir versus Lesnar will now be pushed back to July 11 at UFC 100 in Las Vegas.

 

It’s not a move that Mir wanted to make, but he didn’t want any doubts cast on him when he faces Lesnar to unify the heavyweight championship. “I don’t want to go out there and have any excuses.”

 

With Mir versus Lesnar moved to UFC 100, Rashad Evans announced that he will step into the UFC 98 main event against one of two possible opponents, depending upon how Saturday night’s UFC 96 main event ends for Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine.

 

If Jackson wins, Evans will face him in the UFC 98 main event. If Jardine wins, then No. 2 ranked light heavyweight Lyoto Machida will step in and face Evans, since Jardine is the champ’s teammate and training partner.

 

 

Source:

www.mmaweekly.com

 

So there you have it, Rampage will get his shot for the glory at UFC 98 versus

Rashad Evans the current reigning Light Heavyweight Champion and fight fans are going to have to wait to the big one double zero to see the UFC Heavyweight title finally unified when we get to Lesnar vs. Mir 2!

I for one cannot wait!