It’s been a crazy weekend but it’s been worth it! Some forty or so volunteers from the gym have been working the whole weekend to get our new HQ up and running. We’re pleased to say, that training at the new place has begun!

Thanks to EVERYONE that made this possible. We’ll post alot more info and photos shortly coverinng the build and the opening nights.

Jonny Origan of Kokoro was matched with Dave Brown of Cobra MMA and it was to be a gruelling wrestling match for both. Dave’s intentions were clear from the start; this one was going going to be a ground war! A solid rugby tackle brought Jonny to the mat and Dave put his awesome size and strength advantage to good use. This was what Jonny had expected and he was well prepared. Working the guard to a well timed reversal saw Jonny on top and working the body. On went the ever active wrestling match and at the end of RD1 we were looking at a stalemate. RD2 and the size, strength, skill and some solid cornering of Dave Brown came into play. Relentless pursuit of Jonny’s back saw Origan fighting to hold out before tapping to a rear naked choke in the final seconds of RD2. Fantasic match!

Kokoro’s Thomas Nolan was matched with Tony Deane of Evolve and Nolan wasted no time in piling on the workrate. At the onset, Tony was clearly up for a standup match but swiftly changed his mind as Thomas landed a solid 1-2. Deane now wanted no part of Thomas’ standup game and had been rocked in the first few seconds. Deane wisely headed for the ground with very solid takedown skills.

Sensing he could have the standup advantage, Thomas brought Deane back to his feet within seconds. Thomas quickly landed a big right to the chin as Deane was sent backwards toward the corner. Nolan headed in for a finishing strike but Deane recovered well enough to go in for the takedown. It was a good lift but the neck was out there and Nolan was waiting. Nolan landed a few shots during the clinch, secured the neck and began sinking the guillotine on the way down to the mat. Calm and composed, Thomas ensured he established a solid closed guard before finalising the choke early in RD1. Great debut win for Thomas!

Congratulations gents!

Here goes with the press release text:

CAGE TALK – “When the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) first debuted many people criticised the brutality presented by having two men engage in no holds barred fist fighting. The UFC sparked a revolution in combat sports and has become a worldwide phenomenon to the point where it’s pushed Boxing out as the top fighting sport in the U.S. In the U.S and Japan Cage fighting has climbed to celestial heights because of regular crowd attendance in excess of 20, 000 to 100,000.

In the U.K without even scratching the surface of the English market and without even naming who is on the fight card, the UFC is outselling events headlined by Amir Khan, and cards that feature both Hatton and Calzaghe- all this with higher ticket prices and less time for marketing. UFC 75 held at the O2 arena in London on September 2007 became the most watched UFC/MMA event anywhere. On 30th December 2006 the UFC broke the pay per-view industry records and garnered 1 million 50 000 buys surpassing both WWE wrestling and Boxing. With over 3OO million fans in over 170 countries with its abundance of high profile fighters there are no signs that Cage Fighting will slow its meteoric rise.

In this fascinating new and gripping book the author delves not only the glory of this fast growing and dangerous sport but all the chaos that goes behind the scenes and the life styles of the herculean super star fighters. Included are gritting insider accounts of some of the legendary major fights. You will discover the type of mental and physical commitment it takes to survive in the Cage. Using EXCLUSIVE interviews conducted specifically for this book, the author has produced a very real look at the U.K and U.S MMA scene.

The sport has now been endorsed by the media and government bodies, thus endorsing the sporting prowess of the artistic mixed martial arts and of its gladiatorial warriors. This book takes you inside the toughest and fastest growing sport in the world.”

ULTIMATE CONVERSATIONS – “A unique and fascinating look at the greatest UFCand MMA champions and super stars of the fastest growing sport in the world.

In less than a decade, the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) went from a novelty spectacle to a worldwide phenomenon. The sport of mixed martial arts has penetrated the defence of the mainstream media where it’s outselling boxing, pro wrestling and any other combat sport.

This riveting and fascinating book explores the lives and careers of the toughest fighters ever to have stepped into the Ultimate Fighting Championship arena. Within the pages of this tome for the first time is a compilation of exclusive interviews with the greatest UFC champions and superstars. In their own words the hardest athletes in the world tell their stories, the obstacles and hardships they have had to endure, giving us a rare insight into the lives and careers of the titans who have propelled the sport into the big time, making it the fastest growing sport in the world.

The UFC broke the pay-per-view industry’s all time records for a single year’s business. What the UFC is doing – and what the WWE and boxing haven’t done – is create new stars. Major MMA shows attract a galaxy of celebrities from the Film, T.V and sports world. In U.SA and Japan MMA has climbed to celestial heights with regular attendances in excess of 20,000 to 100,000. In the U.K the UFC is outselling fights headlined by the most popular boxers in the country.

This book charts the radically diverse backgrounds of the fighters, from the legendary pioneers and UFC Hall of Famers Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Mark Coleman, to iconic fighters and champions Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes and the controversial charismatic star “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz, finally moving on to rising stars Michael Bisping and Georges St Pierre. Ultimate Conversations gives you an incredible glimpse into just what it takes to survive in the world’s most brutal arena in the most popular and exciting combat sport on the planet.”

Available in bookshops and at Amazon.

Having the guys from Team Quest with us has been an honour and a privilege.

Dan’s an all time MMA hero of mine and watching him prepare, then spending some mat time rolling with Carlos and Krzystof, has been an experience that I won’t be forgetting in a hurry! What a way to set the tone for this weekend!

Dan is in AWESOME shape and is well set for a superb show.

Full story and picture set HERE.

Thanks to Tracy Lee at CombatLifestyle.com for permission to use these shots.

Thanks to Dan Henderson, Krzystzof, Carlos and Tarec of Team Quest for choosing Kokoro and for taking time out to roll with us.

Thanks to Ronan for making the arrangements and Derek for managing the gym.

Kokoro couldn’t have asked for a better start to 2009!

“I think the fight for Silva is one against Liddell on Jan. 31 at UFC 94 in Las Vegas. UFC president Dana White has been lukewarm on it so far, but it would be a fun battle and it certainly would be a fight that would have Silva motivated…. [White] didn’t seem all that interested. I had talked with him about it in a private phone conversation about 10 days earlier and he was no more interested in it then. I’m not saying it won’t happen, just that Dana doesn’t seem enthused by the idea”

Source: www.mmanews.com

This fight has been talked about a lot. What do you reckon? Is it a fight we want to see at this stage?

-Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro via Split Decision after 3 Rounds.
-Jason MacDonald def. Jason Lambert via Submission (rear naked choke) at 1:20 of Round 2.
-Tim Boetsch def. Michael Patt via TKO (strikes) at 2:03 of Round 1.
-Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds.
-Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via Split Decision after 3 Rounds.
-Nate Marquardt def. Martin Kampmann via KO (strikes) at 1:22 of Round 1.
-Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds.
-Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via KO (body kick) at 0:39 of Round 3.
-Rashad Evans def. Chuck Liddell via KO (punch) at 1:49 of Round 1.

Source:

http://www.mmafighting.com/news/2008/09/02/couture-return-ufc-91-against-lesnar

Randy Couture will fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 on November 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Couture has signed a new deal with the UFC for three fights. His first will be against Lesnar, with the winner taking on the winner between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Frank Mir.

All good news! But Lesnar, who earned respect from many a die hard fan after his performance against Herring, has been quoted as saying, “Who gives a shit about Fedor?”

Has Lesnar, in one foul swoop, destroyed the credibility he’s fought for?

Source:

http://www.mmafighting.com/news/2008/09/02/live-blogging-ufcs-major-announcement

4:51: Lesnar says fighting Couture was something he couldn’t turn down. “I’m very excited. Not a lot of people get this opportunity, and not a lot of people are me either.”

4:52: Lesnar goes on a long rant about Fedor: “I don’t give a s–t about Fedor. I’m sick about people talking about Fedor…You want that fight? Fine, but I don’t give a damn.”

So to recap…

Couture is back, Lesnar is already up for the title and Fedor is ’shit’. Been a busy week really!

Strange fight for Chuck to take after beating Wandy Silva, considering that a victory over Rashad would do very little to fuel his effort to regain the light-heavyweight title, and losing would mean he’d have to start seriously considering retirement, but there you go. I’m expecting a few Liddell R1 KO predictions for that one.

The Rich Franklin v Matt Hamill fight poses a similar set of circumstances for Franklin – winning won’t do much to enhance his reputation, but losing could be a big setback. And Hamill is a tough hombre.

So, predictions please, ladies and gents. Rules stay the same; 5 points for picking the winner, an additional 3 for the finishing method and 1 for the round.

Wes is still miles ahead on the leaderboard, Leo is in second place and Derek in third.

The event can be seen live on Setanta Sports 1 at 3am on Sunday morning, and is repeated at 10pm Sunday on Setanta Sports 2.

Main Card
Chuck Liddell Vs. Rashad Evans
Rich Franklin Vs. Matt Hamill
Karo Parisyan Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Dan Henderson Vs. Rousimar Palhares
Martin Kampmann Vs. Nate Marquardt

Source: MMA News

The following are quick match results for UFC 87: Seek And Destory:

- Ben Saunders def. Ryan Thomas Submission (Armbar) Round 2 at 2:28
- Chris Wilson def. Steve Bruno Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00
- Jon Jones Andre def. Gusmao Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00
- Cheick Kongo def. Dan Evensen TKO (Strikes) Round 1 at 4:55
- Tamdan McCrory def. Luke Cummo Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00
- Demian Maia def. Jason MacDonald Submission (Rear-naked Choke) Round 3 at 2:44
- Kenny Florian def. Roger Huerta Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00
- Robert Emerson def. Manvel Gamburyan KO (Punches) Round 1 at 0:12
- Brock Lesnar def. Heath Herring Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00
- Georges St. Pierre def. Jon Fitch Decision (Unanimous) 5 5:00

There are some great fights scheduled though. Everyone’s favourite Canuck, Georges St.Pierre is going to beat Jon Fitch, Brock Lesnar and Heath Herring go at it crazy style, and KenFlo has a bash at Roger Huerta. Good stuff.

Predictions please. You know the drill; 5 points for picking the winner, an additional 3 for the finishing method and 1 for the round.

Wes is way out ahead on the leaderboard after his one-horse-race win on the Affliction card, with Zoolander, Leo and Ronan following.

The event can be seen live on Setanta Sports 1 on Saturday night, and is repeated at 22:00 Sunday on Setanta Sports 2.

Main Card
Georges St-Pierre Vs. Jon Fitch
Brock Lesnar Vs. Heath Herring
Kenny Florian Vs. Roger Huerta
Manny Gamburyan Vs. Rob Emerson
Jason MacDonald Vs. Demian Maia

Source: MMA News

The following are quick-match results from the Affliction “Banned” show, which emanated from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on July 19th, 2008:

-Paul Buentello def. Gary Goodridge via Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds.
-Vitor Belfort def. Terry Martin via KO (punches) at 3:12 of Round 2.
-Mike Pyle def. J.J. Ambrose via Submission (rear naked choke) at 2:51 of Round 1.
-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Edwin Dewees via TKO (punches) at 4:06 of Round 1.
-Matt Lindland def. Fabio Negao via Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds.
-Renato “Babalu” Sobral def. Mike Whitehead via Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds.
-Mark Hominick def. Savant Young via Submission (armbar) at 4:25 of Round 2.
-Josh Barnett def. Pedro Rizzo via KO (punch) at 1:44 of Round 2.
-Andrei Arlovski def. Ben Rothwell via KO (punches) at 1:13 of Round 3.
-Fedor Emelianenko def. Tim Sylvia via Submission (rear naked choke) at 0:36 of Round 1

Was an event that we’ve been waiting years to see. The PrideFC fan in us all couldn’t help but feel that Affliction is the way to go. Pride values, Unversal Rules. Superb.

So, there it is; Affliction was able to deliver on the hype (and then some!) and Fedor is indeed a machine. A very, very dangerous machine. Tim Sylvia has has gone on the record saying, “I’ve never been hit that hard before… …he’s not human.”

Those of us jammy enough to have Bravo can watch the whole thing on Sunday night, July 20th, at 9pm.

Yes, I want your fight picks. You know the drill – 5 points for the fight winner, plus an additional 3 for the finishing method and 1 for predicting which round the fight will end in. If you aren’t familiar with some of the fighters, have a look around mmascraps.com to see if they’re any use.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Paul Buentello
Vitor Belfort vs. Terry Martin
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Edwin DeWees
Savant Young vs. Mark Hominick
Justin Levens vs. Patrick Speight
Mike Pyle vs. JJ Ambrose

Source: MMA News

LIGHT WEIGHT DIVISION (155 LBS.) 1. B.J. Penn 2. Takanori Gomi 3. Shinya Aoki 4. Gesias Calvancanti 5. Tatsuya Kawajiri 6. Sean Sherk 7. Caol Uno 8. Mitsuhiro Ishida 9. Josh Thomson 10. Gilbert Melendez WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170 LBS.) 1. Georges St. Pierre 2. Jon Fitch 3. Thiago Alves 4. Matt Hughes 5. Jake Shields 6. Josh Koscheck 7. Diego Sanchez 8. Karo Parisyan 9. Matt Serra 10. Carlos Condit MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185 LBS.) 1. Anderson Silva 2. Paulo Filho 3. Dan Henderson 4. Matt Lindland 5. Rich Franklin 6. Yushin Okami 7. Robbie Lawler 8. Frank Trigg 9. Nate Marquardt 10. Kazuo Misaki

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205 LBS.) 1. Forrest Griffin 2. Quinton Jackson 3. Dan Henderson 4. Lyoto Machida 5. Chuck Liddell 6. Mauricio Rua 7. Wanderlei Silva 8. Keith Jardine 9. Sokoudjou 10. Rashad Evans HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (up to 265 LBS.) 1. Fedor Emelianenko 2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 3. Josh Barnett 4. Randy Couture 5. Tim Sylvia 6. Fabricio Werdum 7. Andrei Arlovski 8. Gabriel Gonzaga 9. Mirko CroCop 10. Aleksander Emelianenko POUND FOR POUND (No Limit) 1. Anderson Silva 2. Georges St. Pierre 3. Fedor Emelianenko 4. Quinton Jackson 5. B.J. Penn 6. Randy Couture 7. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 8. Takanori Gomi 9. Urijah Faber 10. Kid Yamamoto

Fedor, Sylvia, Arlovski, Barnett, Rizzo, Sobral and Lindland on the card. Big John and Quadros on the mic. We’ve high hopes for this one.

Results:

1. Justin Buchholz def. Corey Hill via submission (RNC) – R2 (3:57)
2. Melvin Guillard def. Dennis Siver via TKO (strikes) – R1 (0:36)
3. Cole Miller def. Jorge Gurgel via submission (triangle choke) – R3 (4:48)
4. Gabriel Gonzaga def. Justin McCully via submission (kimura) – R1 (1:57)
5. Tyson Griffin def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision
6. Josh Koscheck def. Chris Lytle via unanimous decision
7. Joe Stevenson def. Gleison Tibau via submission (guillotine choke) – R2 (2:57)
8. Patrick Cote def. Ricardo Almeida via split decision
9. Forrest Griffin def. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson via unanimous decision

Not many more big names on the card, but Tyson Griffin always gives good sport and, on a personal note, I’d love to see Chris Lytle put the hurt on Josh Koscheck. The show starts at 3am on Saturday night on Setanta Sports 1.

It’s late notice, but I still want your predictions for the fights. Rules are the same as always – 5 points for picking the winner of each fight, plus bonus points for predicting the finishing method (3) and round (1).

Josh leads the way so far with 47 points, with Wes and Ronan following with 36 and 30 points respectively. Not a clue what the prize for the overall leader at the end of the year will be, but you can bet it’ll be amazing.

Main Card

Quinton Jackson Vs. Forrest Griffin
Patrick Cote Vs. Ricardo Almeida
Joe Stevenson Vs. Gleison Tibau
Josh Koscheck Vs. Chris Lytle
Tyson Griffin Vs. Marcus Aurelio

MMA Fighting. Com

The battle for viewers between “Affliction: Banned” and “UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin” continues.

Affliction announced Thursday that its “Banned” event on July 19, which takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, will air live on closed circuit television at the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, directly across the street from the Palm Hotel & Casino, the site of the UFC Fight Night special headlined by Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin.

The viewing at the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino will begin with the Fox Sports Net broadcast at 5pm PT followed by the pay-per-view broadcast at 6pm PT.

Affliction: Banned
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Honda Center in Anaheim, CA

Pay-Per-View Card:

265 lbs. | Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
265 lbs. | Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
265 lbs. | Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
185 lbs. | Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
205 lbs. | Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead

Fox Sports Net Card:

265 lbs. | Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Paul Buentello
185 lbs. | Vitor Belfort vs. Terry Martin

Undercard:

205 lbs. | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Edwin Dewees
145 lbs. | Savant Young vs. Mark Hominick
205 lbs. | Justin Levens vs. Patrick Speight
170 lbs. | Mike Pyle vs. JJ Ambrose

Will the UFC Game be a hit… …or will it vanish into obscurity and be laid to rest with the PrideFC game?

THQ Press Release:

June 20, 2008: THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that UFC® 2009 Undisputed, the company’s debut videogame based on the renowned Ultimate Fighting Championship® mixed martial arts organization, is in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and mobile devices. Featuring an authentic and comprehensive UFC atmosphere, including an extensive roster of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world, UFC 2009 Undisputed is expected to begin shipping to retail outlets worldwide in spring 2009.

“As the leading fighting videogame publisher*, we feel the rising popularity of the UFC brand and its incredible mixed martial arts experience make UFC 2009 Undisputed the perfect addition to our expanding portfolio,” said Bob Aniello, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, THQ. “UFC 2009 Undisputed is certain to be the most realistic fighting game to date, including advanced collision detection and AI systems that incorporate individual fighter styles.”

“UFC offers the fighting videogame genre a fresh and innovative look inside today’s most exciting live sporting event in the world,” said Dana White, president, UFC. “UFC 2009 Undisputed represents a significant opportunity for us to expand our growing, global audience and allow fans to step into the virtual Octagon™ to compete against the world’s most prominent mixed martial arts fighters.”

About UFC 2009 Undisputed:

UFC 2009 Undisputed is an explosive fighting game that will detail the action, intensity and attitude of a UFC live event. Players will explore a deep roster of more than 80 top fighters in UFC competition across all five weight classes. In addition, they will enter the Octagon surrounded by the sport’s popular commentators, announcers, referees, trainers, Octagon girls and more. Photorealistic models are at the forefront, as players will view amazing ripple effects across the faces and bodies of their fighters from the impact of devastating punches and kicks.

A brand new fighting game engine designed specifically for next generation systems will deliver innovative, responsive and easy-to-play controls that give unparalleled command of fighters, as players take down opponents with a variety of mixed martial arts disciplines like Muay Thai, Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In addition, the game’s Create-A-Fighter system will jumpstart the careers of future champions through character customization and training management, while a robust Career Mode will develop a fighter’s attributes and skill sets while fighting to enter the UFC Hall of Fame through a series of dynamic storylines. Furthermore, players will be able to enhance their UFC 2009 Undisputed gameplay experience through online support, including downloadable content.

MMANEWS.COM

Bisping v Leben tops UFC 89 Birmingham bill

Michael Bisping against Chris Leben will be the main event at UFC 89 on Saturday 18 October at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham , UFC UK Division President Marshall Zelaznik revealed last night.

In an exclusive interview with Setanta Sports News Zelaznik described the Bisping / Leben bout as the ‘fight-fan’s fight’.

He said: “It’s a fight that the fans want to see.”

“Everyone knows about Chris Leben and his knockout power and his strong jaw and Michael with his striking and great aggression.”

“I think the fight will, no question, sell out.”

UFC 89 is the sixth UFC event to be held in the UK in just over a year and will be Michael Bisping’s first headline fight on home soil. Bisping beat Michael Day at the last UFC event at the O2 Arena in London at the start of June.

Speaking to Setanta Sports News about headlining the event, Bisping said:

“To say I’m happy would be a massive understatement. To be headlining the UFC twice within a year is incredible.

“To be fighting in Birmingham , the centre of the country means a lot of fans will get to see me fight, that means a lot to me.”

Bisping described his opponent, Chris Leben, as his ‘toughest opponent to date.’

MMANEWS.COM

As was reported earlier this week, ousted TUF 7 finalist Jesse Taylor will get a rare second chance in the UFC when he takes on CB Dolloway on July 19th at UFC Fight Night 14 live on SpikeTV.

Taylor was kicked off of the show after a series of drunken escapades came to a head and video tape footage showed Taylor kicking the window from a limo. After the incident, Dana White sent Taylor packing and CB Dolloway fought Tim Creduer to decide who would be the replacement to fight Amir Sadollah in the finals.

Sadollah would go on to win the TUF 7 contract by beating Dolloway for a second time at the June Finale.

This will be the first time anybody who has been kicked off of the show for whatever reason gets another chance to fight in the UFC.