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In the words of Joe Rogan: Batista joins a bunch of savages

Now this picture is something that grabs my attention as a pro wrestling to MMA convert.

Pictured above is former WWE pro wrestling superstar Dave Batista, alongside the Caesar Gracie camp. Rumour has it muscle-bound freak Batista, who trained in BJJ and Muay Thai before leaving the sports entertainment world, is in talks with Scott Coker’s California based Strikeforce outfit.

A future possibility would be the match-up of Batista versus another former WWE heavyweight and current Strikeforce contracted fighter – Bobby Lashley. First impressions are of sceptisism, featuring 2 former WWE guys in a freak show fight. However after watching this video and seeing who he’s training with, it’s clear he’s focussed and taking the MMA switch seriously.

From Sherdog.com:

Scott Coker had stated that he would be interested to see the 41 year old matched up against former WWE star, and Army wrestler Bobby Lashley claiming that it would be a fun fight for the fans. Only time will tell how interested Batista is in competing in MMA at age 41 it is a little late to pick up the sport.  It is yet to be seen if Batista will be able to handle all the hard work involved in becoming an MMA fighter.

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

Miesha Tate v Hitomi Akano

A catchweight bout, a four-woman tournament and the debut of the son of a legend were the talking points of Strikeforce’s latest Challengers show, shown this past Monday night on Bravo 2 here in Britain.

The show began with the semi-finals of the tournament to find the number one contender to the Women’s Welterweight title, beginning with Miesha Tate against Maiju Kujala.

Fought over two three minute rounds, this fight featured  a controversial moment towards the end of the first when the referee stood the fighters up when Kujala had a guillotine choke applied.

Apart from that we saw a pretty good performance from Tate as she took home the unanimous decision. I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if the referee hadn’t intervened in that first round.

The second semi-final saw Hitomi Akano taking on Carina Damm.

An excellent back and forth grappling battle saw both girls putting on great performances, especially in the first round, a round which was again marred by a questionable stand-up.

Akano took the win in the second after some more impressive ground work and a modified triangle.

Then it was on to action from the lightweight division as Mr. Couture’s baby boy Ryan squared off against Lucas Stark.

A quick fight saw Couture get the take down after a brief feeling out period. Stark soon got to his feet and got a take down of his own, only to quickly find himself in a Couture triangle choke with no means of escape. An impressive performance from debutant.

The women’s welterweight tournament final followed as Miesha Tate faced Hitomi Akano.

This was one of the best ground fights I’ve seen in ages. Fought over three three minute rounds this featured tremendous performances from both girls.

Tate certainly lived up to her nickname with some impressive take downs, with some great defensive work from Akano frustrating her all the way.

But despite Akano’s defensive work it was Tate’s attacks that earned her the unanimous decision, and a possible re-match with Welterweight Champion Sarah Kaufman.

The main even saw Joe Riggs taking on Louis Taylor in a catchweight bout made at 182 pounds.

A fight that didn’t exactly set the world alight to begin with saw two tentative performances in the first two rounds. It was almost as if both fighters were looking for counter moves, with neither man willing to make that first move.

But the fight suddenly came to life in the third when a big right from Riggs rocked Taylor, who tried to recover by going for a clinch against the cage.

This only resulted in a Riggs take down, with Taylor tapping out as Riggs went to work with the ground and pound.

In conclusion – despite the somewhat lacklustre main event, Strikeforce Challengers proved to be a very entertaining show.

The highlight for me was the women’s welterweight tournament, and the performances of Tate and Akano. It was a shame that their fight only lasted nine minutes. Just imagine what those two could have done with three five minute rounds.

So in all a good show, with another one just a few days away.

Strikeforce returned to Bravo 2 screens this past Monday here in Britain with their latest Challengers show, headlined by the heavyweight clash between Shane Del Rosario and Lolohea Mahe.

The show began with action from the light heavyweight division as Abongo Humphrey squared off against Mike Kyle.

A very exciting fight saw Humphrey put on an excellent display of ground work in the first round as he went for a number of guillotine attempts.

Humphrey kept this momentum going into the early part of the second, but as he began to tire Kyle took control, and it wasn’t long before he took his man’s back and locked in a rear naked choke for the submission win. An impressive outing for both men here.

Then it was down to the welterweight division as Cory Devela took on Bobby Voelker.

A nice technical battle saw Devela putting on a great performance on the ground. Voelker looked game at times, especially with the striking exchanges, but Devela was able to keep up with him in this respect.

With the fight going the distance the judges were called into action as they gave the split decision to Voelker, a decision that didn’t sit too well with the crowd, and with me, as I was sure that Devela had done enough to win.

The only title fight on the show saw Sarah Kaufman defending the Women’s Lightweight title against Roxanne Modafferri.

This may well be one of the best fights I’ve seen in recent times. Modafferri looked great in the first round, controlling the fight on the ground, while Kaufman came back well in the second with some tremendous striking.

But this fight will be remembered for it’s highlight reel moment towards the end of the third. As Modafferri went for an arm bar Kaufmann lifted her up and slammed her to the ground, knocking her out in the process, giving her the title retaining knockout win and keeping her unbeaten record intact.

The main event saw Shane Del Rosario facing Lolohea Mahe in the heavyweight division.

Despite giving away over twenty pounds Del Rosario really took the fight to his opponent with his superior striking.

A borderline knee to Mahe that was ruled a low blow stopped him momentarily, but in the end Mahe just had no answer to Del Rosario’s attack, and it was a series of knees in a muay thai clinch that saw Mahe slumping to the ground, with the referee quickly stepping in a giving Del Rosario the TKO win.

In conclusion – after British viewers were left disappointed when they didn’t get to see a certain Russian losing Strikeforce made up for this with a great show as the lesser lights once again showing that they’re ready to step up to the main stage. Although given the performances of Sarah Kaufman and Shane Del Rosario the term lesser lights may seem a little inappropriate.  So in all another good show from Scott Coker and his crew. Very enjoyable.

It’s still unclear whether Bravo are airing the fight card on delay for us in the UK, but need wait no longer, see the main event right here. Thank you youtube.

What a shocker!

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

MMA fight promoters Strikeforce and M1 Global team once more, as WAMMA Heavyweight Champion ‘The Last Emperor’ Fedor Emelianenko is challenged by Fabricio Werdum.

The MMA fight card takes place tonight -- June 26, from the HP Pavillion, San Jose, California.

Virgin Media channel Bravo recently has been airing all Strikeforce TV, so far this show is not advertised to be aired. So Fedor fans here in the UK may have to view it by alternative means via the web.

Match-ups:

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. Jan Finney

Scott Smith vs. Cung Le

Josh Thomson vs. Pat Healy

Magomed Shikhshabekov vs. Ron Keslar

Watch the video for a preview of this highly anticipated event.

Video courtesy of www.THEFIGHTNETWORK.com

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

MMA action returned to Bravo 2 this past Monday night here in Britain with Strikeforce Los Angeles, headlined by Robbie Lawler against Renato Sobral, and with Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich handling commentary duties.

The show began with a catchweight bout, made at 160, with K.J. Noons facing Conor Heun. A very entertaining opener saw two fighters with decidedly different tactics. While Heun looked to take the fight to the ground, and looked great in the first round with some good sequences, Noons preferred the striking game, and looked just as good, especially when he defended against Heun’s take down attempts in the third. By the end of the fight Heun’s face was a bloody mess. So with the fight going the distances the judges came into play as they gave the split decision to Noons.

Then it was on to middleweight action as Tim Kennedy took on Trevor Prangley. A very good ground battle saw Prangley defend Kennedy’s take down attempt early on with a hip throw, but it wasn’t long before Kennedy took his man down.  From there it was all Kennedy, controlling all aspects with some ground and pound before taking Prangley’s back. The South African tried to fight back, standing up at one point, before finally succumbing to Kennedy’s rear naked choke.

It was down to the welterweight division for the next fight as Marius Zaromskis faced Evangelista Cyborg. No ground work in this one, just plenty of crisp striking as Cyborg really took it to Zaromskis. The man dubbed “the new age Cro Cop” got off a few good shots, but after rocking his man a few times Cyborg countered Zaromskis’ flying knee attempt with a big right. The referee quickly stepped in when Cyborg went for some ground and pound as the Brazilian secured the highly impressive knockout win.

The main event saw more catchweight action, this time made at 195, as Robbie Lawler faced Renato Sobral. Everyone thought that Sobral would constantly go for take downs in this fight, but it was his striking that came to the fore here. Sobral did go for a few take down attempts, but Lawler was easily able to defend. That was why we had an entertaining back and forth striking battle, and while Lawler managed to turn the Brazilian’s face black and blue Sobral scored with some hard kicks that coloured the left side of Lawler’s body. It was a close battle, with the judges giving Sobral the close unanimous decision.

In conclusion – Strikeforce’s latest television offering proved to be a very entertaining affair with four very good fights, topped off by a very exciting main event, once again showing that Strikeforce is a viable alternative to the UFC, even though they may lack an array of household names.

It was time for the lesser lights to show their wares recently as Strikeforce presented their latest Challengers show, broadcast on Bravo 2 this past weekend here in Britain, with Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich handling commentary duties.

The show began with welterweight action as Nate Moore went up against Tarec Saffiedine. An interesting wrestler versus striker contest saw Saffiedine using his kickboxing skills to good effect throughout the fight, and showing good take down defence as well when Moore wanted to take the fight to the ground. A big right from the Belgian in the second dropped Moore and gave Saffiedine the impressive knockout win.

The welterweight action continued as Roger Bowling took on Bobby Voelker. This certainly was an explosive battle as both men came out with all guns blazing. But first strike went to Bowling as he took the upper hand, impressing in all aspects as he initially overwhelmed Voelker with some impressive striking and take downs. There was an unfortunate ending though as Bowling hurt his right eye during a referee’s separation, the corner of Voelker’s glove catching the eye as they came apart. After a lengthy examination from the doctor the fight was finally called off, with the judges called on to give their decision, unanimous in favour of Bowling. A very good performance by Bowling, but it was a shame that those in attendance didn’t show the fighters a bit more respect here.

Yet more welterweight action followed, with Nathan Coy against Tyron Woodley. This proved to be just as explosive as the previous fight, a great back and forth encounter with both men putting on tremendous performances both in the stand up and on the ground. Woodley’s best moment came towards the end of the second when he went for an arm bar, only for Coy to be saved by the bell. Coy’s best work came in the third with his excellent ground game. The judges were called upon again as they gave the split decision in favour of Woodley in a fight that really could have gone either way.

The main event saw Matt Lindland taking on Kevin Casey in the middleweight division. Lindland came into this one needing a win, and it was a great performance from the veteran. The first round looked pretty even, a nice back and forth round. But as soon as the second round started Lindland dominated, tying Casey up like a pretzel and going a step further in the third round with his relentless ground and pound, and with Casey having no answer to this assault the referee stepped in, giving Lindland the impressive TKO win.

In conclusion – another impressive showing for the up and comers (and the veteran) on Strikeforce’s roster. All four fights delivered, with the main event the fight of the night for me.

Although I must say I was a little disappointed with the conduct of the fans when Roger Bowling suffered his eye injury. When it became obvious that something was wrong and that he wouldn’t be able to continue they booed the house down, a disrespectful sign if ever there was one, leaving me wondering what would have happened if he’d suffered a far more serious injury.

THE TWO SHEDS REVIEW by Julian Radbourne – now in it’s 10th year!E-mail: juli316uk@yahoo.co.uk Website: www.twoshedsreview.comSponsored by Intimidation Clothing, makers of high quality, affordable MMA apparel and T-shirts. Visit their website at www.intimidationclothing.com.

Strikeforce returned to British television screens this past Monday with their latest show, Heavy Artillery, on Bravo 2, with Brett Rogers challenging Alistair Overeem for the Heavyweight title. Commentary duties were handled by Gus Johnson, Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo.

The show began with action from the light heavyweight division as Antwain Britt faced off against Rafael Feijao. A fight that was a little slow at times saw both men jockeying for position against the cage for most of the first round, but after a separation Feijao suddenly sprang into life after a big right to Britt’s jaw. Feijao went in for the kill with a flurry of blows, with the referee stepping in as Feijao secured the knockout win, ending a very interesting contest.

The light heavyweight action continued with Roger Gracie taking on Kevin Randleman. Lots of feeling out in this one, and it really took a while to get going until Gracie scored with a knee to the head in a muay thai clinch. From there it was all Gracie, and it wasn’t long before he took Randleman’s back and went for the rear naked choke. It took him a while to get there, but he eventually managed to synch the choke in, with Randleman tapping just as he slipped into unconsciousness. A good performance for Gracie, but I’m left to wonder what’s next for Kevin Randleman.

It was down to the middleweight division for the next fight as Jacarei Souza went up against Joe Villasenor. This proved to be a very entertaining encounter. Souza showed some tremendous ground work throughout, especially with his numerous take downs. Villasenor showed some good defensive work at times, but only really came into his own in the third, his peppering jabs bloodying the Brazilian’s nose. But in the end the superior ground work was enough to earn Souza the unanimous decision.

Action from the heavyweight division followed as Andrei Arlovski took on Antonio Silva. The Pitbull went into this one looking to kick-start his career after two consecutive losses. The only problem here was that Silva was on the top of his game, showing superior striking skills, bloodying Arlovski’s nose as the fight went on. The only take down came late in the third round when Silva lifted Arlovski up and took him down with what professional wrestling commentators would call a spine buster. So the second fight in a row went to the judges, and it came as no surprise when Silva took home the unanimous decision. Not a spectacular fight, but entertaining nonetheless.

The main event saw Strikeforce’s erstwhile Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem defending the title against Brett Rogers. A one-sided affair saw Overeem dominant throughout, out-punching Rogers in the stand-up, and continuing his assault when he took the fight to the ground. Rogers just didn’t seem to have any answer to Overeem’s ground and pound, and it wasn’t long before the referee stopped the assault, giving Overeem the TKO win with a very impressive performance.

In conclusion – another good outing for the Strikeforce crew, and thankfully no post-match brawl to bring the event down. All five fights delivered in varying degrees. It was good to see Overeem finally defending his Heavyweight title, and let’s hope we get to see more of the Dutchman in Strikeforce in the future, because the prospect of an Overeem/Fedor fight is a very intriguing one.

THE TWO SHEDS REVIEW by Julian Radbourne – now in it’s 10th year!
E-mail: juli316uk@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.twoshedsreview.com
Sponsored by Intimidation Clothing, makers of high quality, affordable MMA apparel and T-shirts. Visit their website at www.intimidationclothing.com.

Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery on Bravo 2

A quick heads up for Strikeforce fans, Bravo 2 are scheduled to air Heavy Artillery. The loaded fight card featuring the heavyweight title bout between defending champ Alistair Overeem against challenger Brett Rogers is listed for Monday 17th May, 10pm-12midnight.

Heavyweight competitor Andrei Arlovski, a face last seen on our screens for Affliction, attempting to dethrone ‘The Last Emperor’ Fedor Emelianenko, faces Antonio Silva.

Seeing as the time slot allocated for the MMA fight card is barely 2 hours, it’s clear the Virgin Media channel won’t show the full event. However here is the list of match-ups originally advertised for the May 15 show from St Louis:

* Champ Alistair Overeem vs. Brett Rogers (for heavyweight title)

* Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva

* Ronaldo “Souza” Jacare vs. Joey Villasenor

* Roger Gracie vs. Kevin Randleman

* Antwain Britt vs. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante

Hopefully a company here in the UK will win the license to distribute Strikeforce DVD releases in the not too distant future, enabling the fight fans to see the action in full.

Bravo and Bravo 2 are both available on Virgin Media and Sky platforms.

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com