DAN HENDERSON CAPS AMAZING NIGHT OF ACTION WITH FIRST-ROUND KNOCKOUT OVER BABALU SOBRAL AS STRIKEFORCE CLOSES OUT YEAR IN SPECTACULAR FASHION

Posted on | December 5, 2010 | 1 Comment

CATCH REPLAY OF EXCITING FIGHTS TUESDAY ON SHO 2 AT 10 P.M.

PAUL DALEY, ROBBIE LAWLER ALSO WIN BY KO IN OPENING ROUND,
BIG FOOT SILVA RALLIES TO STOP MIKE KYLE IN SECOND,
OVINCE SAINT PREUX DOMINATES BENJI RADACH TO TAKE DECISION

Saturday, Dec. 4, Live on SHOWTIME® From Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo

ST. LOUIS (Dec. 5, 2010) – Legendary MMA superstar Dan Henderson, 41, proved he is back in a major way Saturday as he closed an outstanding night of exciting, non-stop action fights by demolishing former STRIKEFORCE World Champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral in 1:53 in the main event on SHOWTIME® before a crowd of 7,146 at Scottrade Center.

“Hendo answered the questions about his age, about his desire,’’ said SHOWTIME analyst and MMA pioneer, Frank Shamrock, after the fight. “There was never a question about his power.”

Other results on the televised portion of STRIKEFORCE: Henderson vs. Babalu presented by Rockstar Energy Drink:” World-ranked welterweight Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (26-9-2) of Nottingham, England, knocked out Scott “Hands Of Steel” Smith (18-8, 1 NC), of Elk Grove, Calif., with a ferocious counter left hook at 2:09 in the first; new-look Robbie Lawler (18-6, 1 NC), of Granite City, Ill., returned to his old, “Ruthless” self with a devastating 50-second, first-round knockout over Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-8), of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight match; Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva (15-2), of Coconut Creek, Fla., by way of Brazil, rallied to register a second-round TKO (punches) over Mike “Mak’’ Kyle (18-8), of San Jose, Calif., in a heavyweight scrap and former University of Tennessee linebacker Ovince St. Preux (9-4) of Knoxville, Tenn., won his sixth in a row and second in two weeks with a dominant three-round unanimous decision over Benji “Razor’’ Radach (19-6, 1 NC), of Laguna Beach, Calif., at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

“I’ve said it before but not often enough: we have some of the most devastating and talented fighters in the world on the STRIKEFORCE roster,’’ said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker after the final STRIKEFORCE fight card of the year. “And these guys — Hendo, Daley, Lawler — proved it tonight. These aren’t even the champs of their divisions in STRIKEFORCE and they put on some display tonight.

“This is a second chance for Daley. He’s shown remorse for his past action and he’s earned the right to keep fighting. As for Mike Kyle: Watch out at 205 because he’s got devastating power.”

Henderson, making his first fight at 205 pounds in three years, moved a step closer to a title shot against STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante.

“Whoever STRIKEFORCE comes up with, I’ll fight,’’ said Henderson, who floored Babalu with two solid right hands and finished him with a series of shots. “But I prefer 205. I’m ready to fight at 185 but there are plenty of good fights for me at 205.

“My body felt better for this fight. I appreciate all the support from the fans in St. Louis.’’

This was the second victory over Babalu for Henderson, who won a decision in February 2000.

Daley-Smith turned out to be the slugfest most everybody expected, but Daley, making his STRIKEFORCE debut, landed the first telling shot and that was that.

“I’m very happy with this fight and for the opportunity STRIKEFORCE is giving me,’’ said Daley, who delivered a perfectly-placed left look that sent Smith crashing head-first to the canvas.

By stopping Lindland with a picturesque, short right hook, Lawler put himself right back into the stacked STRIKEFORCE middleweight picture.

Unlike his last outing on June 16 when he may have played it a little too cautiously in a points’ loss to Babalu, Lawler was all business Saturday.

“For some reason I thought he’d try to stand with me,’’ said Lawler, who was sporting a beard and hair on his head for this one. “He probably shouldn’t have. I knew I was in good enough shape to fight my fight and not worry about take downs. I’ll take a one-day break and talk to managers and then we’ll go from there.’’

When asked if he knew the fight was over before the referee stepped in, Lawler said, “I always know when the fight is over.’’

The Silva-Kyle fight looked like it might be over in the first round, a five-minute session dominated by Kyle, who dropped Silva with a booming right hand in the opening seconds and spent the remainder of the round in the top position pounding the Brazilian with both hands.

But Silva, who outweighed Kyle by 44 pounds, rebounded strongly to triumph for the eighth time in nine starts.

“He surprised me at the beginning,’’ Silva said. ‘But I never felt I was in danger of losing or that the referee would stop the fight.’’

Kyle, who took the fight on a week’s notice after Valentijn Overeem withdrew with an injury, came close to scoring a major upset.

“I thought they were going to stop the fight,’’ said Kyle, who entered the cage having gone 5-0 with one No Contest since losing to Fedor conquerer, Fabricio Wedum, on Aug. 15, 2009. “I was really excited but they didn’t and then I realized I broke my hand and I was out of the fight mentally’’

In the opening bout of the telecast, Saint Preux dominated what many felt would be his toughest fight, outpointing Radach by the one-sided scores of 30-27, 30-26 and 30-25.

It was the second consecutive points victory for the 6-foot-3, 27-year-old Saint Preux, who was coming off a unanimous over Antwain Britt during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Nov. 19.

Saturday’s thrilling event will re-air Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO2.

The telecast also will be available On Demand beginning Wednesday, Dec. 8, and running through Dec. 21.

Mauro Ranallo called the action on SHOWTIME with MMA legends Shamrock and Pat Miletich serving as expert analysts.

In Saturday’s non-televised professional results: Fernando Bettega (7-4), Cerritos, Calif., split decision over Wayne Phillips (4-4), San Jose, at 170 pounds; Justin Lawrence (1-0), St. Louis, unanimous (technical) decision over Max Martynuk (0-1), Los Angeles, at 155 pounds; Pat Cummins (1-0), Carlsbad, Calif., TKO 1 (strikes) over Terrell Brown (2-1), O’Fallon, Mo., at 205 pounds; Matt Ricehouse (4-0), St. Peters, Mo., unanimous decision over Tom Aaron (8-2), Troy, Mo.; Booker DeRousse (4-4), St. Louis, TKO 2 (strikes) Coltin Cole (1-1) of Duquion, Ill., at 185 pounds; Cortez Coleman (6-1), Granite, City, Ill., submitted (guillotine choke) Lucas Lopes (19-11), St. Louis, in the first round (2:04) at 185 pounds; Mike Glenn (7-4), Springfield, Mo., first-round TKO over Lee Brousseau (7-3), of River Wood, Mo., at 205 pounds; and J.W. Wright (1-0), St. Louis, submitted (guillotine choke) Josh “The Loose Cannon’’ Epps (2-3), St. Louis, in the first round (1:29) at 130 pounds.

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts telecasts, along with access to the SHOWTIME Sports Facebook® and Twitter® pages, please go to http://Sports.Sho.com.

ALVAREZ TO TAKE ON BRUCE FOR IBA WELTERWEIGHT TITLE TONIGHT ON GFL

Posted on | December 4, 2010 | No Comments

NEW YORK / ATLANTIC CITY (December 4, 2010)—TONIGHT!!! at Ballys in Atlantic City, Two welterweights will vie for the IBA Welterweight championship which they hope will be a steppingstone to a shot at greener pastures.

Shamone Alvarez will look to thrill the hometown fans when he takes on Ayi Bruce that will headline a big night of boxing that can be seen live on www.gofightlive.tv

The action will begin at 7:30 pm est and fans all over the world can
order the fight for just $9.99 by clicking:

HERE

Alvarez of Atlantic City has a record of 21-2 with twelve knockouts and is coming off an impressive seventh round stoppage over Alexis Camacho (17-2) in March in a bout that was seen live all over the world on gofightlive.tv

Alvarez won his first fifteen fights which included impressive victories over Mohammad Kayongo (11-0-1); & Enrique Gutierrez (10-0).

He won the NABO Welterweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Jose Luis Cruz (34-2-2) and defended it with a unanimous decision over Germaine Sanders (27-3).

He suffered his first pro defeat when he dropped a twelve round unanimous decision to future world champion Joshua Clottey. He rebounded nicely to score a decision over former U.S. Olympian Terrance Cauthen (33-4) before dropping a razor thin decision to future world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez (23-2-2).

Bruce of Accra, Ghana has a record of 17-3 with twelve knockouts won his first fourteen bouts in his native Ghana. In that process he won the Ghananian Jr. Welterweight title.

Since coming to America he has only lost to undefeated prospects Emanuel Taylor (7-0) and Raymond Serrano (12-0). Bruce has two in a row which includes a third round stoppage over forty-four fight veteran Larry Brothers on October 27th.

In the co-feature bout of the evening, hot up and coming Philadelphian prospect, Raymond “Tito” Serrano (13-0, 6KO’s) looks to close out 2010 by improving to 14-0 when he takes on tough veteran Geoffrey Spruiell, in an eight round welterweight showdown.

Also on the card is Wildwood, New Jersey’s popular light heavyweight contender, and reigning WBF US Light Heavyweight Champion, Chuck “The Professor” Mussachio (16-1-2, 5KO’s) as he squares off over eight scheduled rounds against Theo Kruger.

Exciting jr. middleweight, Ismael Garcia (1-0) will look to pick up his second win as a pro when he takes on New York’s, Joe Jerdon (0-1-2). Garcia, who lives in nearby Millville, NJ, made his pro-debut in Atlantic City in March, winning a dominating four round decision over previously unbeaten Josh Mercado (3-0). Garcia-Yerdon is scheduled for four rounds.

In a four round middleweight match-up Philadelphia’s Rashad Brown (1-0) squares off against Corey Preston (0-2).

The son of former WBA Heavyweight champion, Bruce Seldon, Isiah Seldon (2-0) takes on Todd Eriksson in a four round Middleweight bout.

Rounding out the card is Atlantic City’s Althera Saunders (1-0) in a four round female jr. welterweight contest against Natoya Ervin (1-6).

MMA: The Ultimate Fighter Finale Promises Full Card of Exciting Fights Tonight

Posted on | December 4, 2010 | No Comments

By: Rich Bergeron

The Ultimate Fighter Finale will feature seven of the show’s stars fighting on tonight’s UFC card from The Palms in Las Vegas. Most of them will be fighting against each other, but this time they’ll all be scheduled for three rounds and there will be a huge crowd watching. Nam Phan is the exception tonight, drawing an opponent outside the TUF circle and dropping 10 pounds for this bout against Leonard Garcia at 145. Phan’s split decision loss to Michael Johnson in the semi-finals could have gone either way, and it’s clear his talent is being spotlighted with this match-up.

The main TUF final between Johnson and Jonathan Brookins is supposed to be the true battle for the UFC contract, but if Phan beats Garcia his own contract will get signed quickly. Phan is a real MMA journeyman, and his record (16-8) actually looks very similar to Garcia’s (18-6-1). The difference is most of Phan’s fights have been on smaller shows while Garcia’s been a standout WEC star over the years. In many ways Phan’s fight is a bigger challenge that either Johnson or Brookins is facing tonight by going to battle against each other.

Phan will have to use his incredible striking ability, which will surely be more potent against a smaller opponent than he’s used to. Garcia favors submissions, but he can strike with the best as well. Phan is a phenomenal boxer, utilizing excellent head and body movement, and landing several crushing body blows in the TUF competition. One of them led to the ultimate TKO of Cody McKenzie in the quarterfinals. Phan can certainly pull off a major upset here, but Garcia’s experience might also be the difference. This is a tough fight to pick a winner, much like the actual contract fight.

Michael Johnson (9-4) showed he clearly could use some improvement after eking out a split decision win over Phan in the semi-finals of the show. After the filming ended, he went straight to the most well known coach in the business: Greg Jackson. His game should be astronomically better against Jonathan Brookins (12-3), but if Brookins also took advantage of the time off to perfect his already superior game, this is going to be an all out war. The key for Brookins is his balanced attack. The fight history widget on Brookins’ UFC page tells the story by the numbers, literally:

http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Jonathan-Brookins

Takedowns, striking, and submissions are all in harmony when it comes to this guy’s fight style. Though Kyle Watson gave him some early fits in his last fight on the show, Brookins showed a level of poise and control no other fighter in the house seemed to have in the cage. Look for Brookins to have his toughest fight yet and Johnson to show he can hang and wants to stick around whether he wins or not.

The rest of the cast fighting on the card is contained within two matches.

Cody McKenzie (11-0) vs. Aaron Wilkinson (6-3)

Sako Chivitchian (5-0) vs. Kyle Watson (15-7-1)

Watson and McKenzie are the easy favorites in these two fights, and if both can continue to adapt their styles and get better they will make great new fixtures in the UFC.

Two other TUF grads will make up the main event and co-main event on this card, which should be a pair of absolutely incredible fights.

Stephan Bonnar (15-7-0), one of the most famous and talented TUF alumni, will enter the octagon against one of the toughest on-paper opponents he can be matched up with right now. Igor Pokrajac (22-7) could certainly beat Bonnar on a good day, but nobody can count out “The American Psycho” and his amazing ability to take punches and return fire even under the worst assaults. If it becomes a battle of striking, Bonnar wins hands down. If Pokrajac makes it a more complete fight and brings a comprehensive, balanced attack he could steal a decision or get a submission win and put himself on the map. Bonnar, known for one of the most thrilling slugfests ever fought in the UFC (against Forrest Griffin), will be sure to leave it all out there in this one. Even if he happens to lose, it will still be exciting.

Kendall “Spider” Grove (14-7) faces Demian Maia (13-2) in the co-main event, and this fight is going to be Grove’s greatest challenge yet. Despite having 6 inches in height and the advantage in striking, Maia is an all-around craftsman, illustrated by his excellent record. His only losses came against Nate Marquardt at UFC 102 and Anderson Silva at UFC 112 this past April. He went the full distance with Silva, which is something only one other UFC fighter has ever been able to do against Silva (Thales Leites at UFC 97). Grove simply hasn’t fought the same caliber of opponents in his career and will have a tough time making up the talent gap.

The rest of the card features:

Dave Branch (7-1) vs. Rich Attonito (9-3)

Fredson Paixao (10-3) vs. Pablo Garza (10-1)

Nick Pace (5-1) vs. Will Campuzano (8-2)

Ian Loveland (13-7) vs. Tyler Toner (11-2)

Jimmy Hendricks (9-0) vs. Rick Story (11-3)

LATEEF KAYODE’S KNOCKOUT STREAK CONTINUES; CUBAN OLYMPICAN LUIS FRANCO REMAINS UNBEATEN

Posted on | December 4, 2010 | No Comments

Don’t Miss The Thrilling Replay On Thursday, Dec. 9, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO 2

SANTA YNEZ, Calif. (Dec. 3, 2010) – The knockout streak lives on for Lateef “Power” Kayode, the Hollywood cruiserweight from Nigeria who registered a sixth-round knockout for the 14th consecutive fight on ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME® Friday night from Chumash Casino Resort.

In the co-feature, former Cuban Olympian Luis “La Estrella” Franco remained undefeated moving his record to 8-0 (5 KOs) with a disqualification (low blows) win over Eric “Outlaw” Hunter at 2:34 of the eighth round.

In the main event, Kayode (15-0, 14 KOs) defended his cruiserweight NABO and NABF titles against a game Ed “The Georgia Thumper” Perry, 34, of Frankfort, Indiana, a former high school football player who drives a dump truck for a living. Perry (18-5-2, 11 KOs) hung in there with Kayode, but just like Kayode’s last 13 victims couldn’t last, taking a knee at :51 seconds in the sixth round after a devastating left uppercut right under the rib cage where he was then counted out by referee Jack Reese.

“It was a good fight for me,” said Kayode, 27, who is trained by Freddie Roach and was fighting at cruiserweight for the fifth time in his career. “I waited a round or two to gauge what he had. He took some shots. Normally guys would have fallen after some of those shots but he had a good chin and stayed in there.”

Kayode’s powerful body shots impressed SHOWTIME announcer Antonio Tarver. “His talent is immeasurable” said the heavyweight Tarver. “But I commend Perry for staying in there as long as he did.”

After the fight, Tarver told Perry he needed to work on his condition and “stay in the gym.”

“The body shots took their toll,” said Perry, who had never seen the canvas in his career but took a knee after a lethal combination by Kayode in the fourth round before standing at an eight-count. “I don’t know, I’ve always been pretty tough. It takes a brave man to stand in there and get hit like that, especially on national TV.”

Added Kayode: “He tried to rush me and rough me in the fifth round. He came at me, so I didn’t go with my jab anymore. I went with my straight right because he was bending to my right side and then I got him with the left uppercut.”

In the co-feature, both Franco and Hunter came out firing in a matchup for the vacant WBO NABO featherweight title. The first two rounds went to Franco easily with Hunter warned for a head butt and two low blows. Referee John Shorley stopped the fight at 2:34 of Round 8 after a third low blow by Hunter giving Franco the win by disqualification.

“It looks like he was looking for a way out,” said Franco, who won every round in the dominating win. “My body shots were just hurting him and he didn’t want to get knocked out. He knew he was going to get knocked out in the ninth round and so he decided to take the disqualification. I out-jabbed him and out worked him and finally got the DQ.”

Hunter, 24, who first appeared on ShoBox back in 2007 and was a 2004 U.S. Olympic alternate, was visibly upset after the disqualification. “There was just too much complaining going on the whole time,” he said. “I said before the fight they better watch out for his complaining. Ah, man. I don’t even want to talk about it. He played to the crowd and the ref. It should have never been stopped.”

“He didn’t act like a pro tonight,” SHOWTIME announcer Steve Farhood said of Hunter.

The doubleheader was promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC.

Friday’s fights will re-air on SHO 2 on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). The fights will be available On Demand from Dec. 8 until Dec. 21.

The night of boxing was the second of four consecutive weeks of fights on SHOWTIME. Next Saturday night, Dec. 11, it’s the bantamweights who will take center stage in a “Winner Takes All” tournament. SHOWTIME will televise the fights live at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash. Four of the top 118-pound fighters battle it out in a two-round, single-elimination tournament to determine the world’s best in the division. In the opening bout, undefeated, world-ranked rising star Abner Mares will face two-division world champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan. Then, former IBF 118-pound champ Joseph King Kong Agbeko will try to earn back the title from the man that won it from him, current IBF champ Yonnhy “El Colombiano” Perez from Irapuato, Mexico.

On Dec. 18 on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT), World Boxing Council 175-pound titleholder Jean Pascal (26-1, 16 KOs) meets former world light heavyweight and middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins (51-5-1, 32 KOs) for the WBC light heavyweight title from the Pepsi Coliseum in Québec City, Canada.

For information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.

Unbeatens Kayode and Franco on ShoBox: The New Generation, Friday, Dec. 3, Weights and Quotes

Posted on | December 2, 2010 | No Comments

WORLD-RANKED LATEEF KAYODE AND ED PERRY
FORMER OLYMPIAN LUIS FRANCO AND ERIC HUNTER

FRIDAY ON SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION

FINAL WEIGHTS AND QUOTES
TOMORROW, Live on SHOWTIME, 11:05 p.m. ET/PT

SANTA YNEZ, Calif. (Dec. 2, 2010) – A few intriguing question that remain to be answered Friday night on ShoBox: The New Generation LIVE on SHOWTIME® (11:05 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the Chumash Casino Resort.

* Will Hollywood’s Lateef “Power” Kayode (14-0, 13 KOs) increase his knockout streak to 14 in a row when he faces Ed “The Georgia Thumper” Perry (17-4-2, 1 NSF) of Frankfort, Ind., in a 10-round cruiserweight main event?
* Will former Cuban Olympian Luis “La Estrella” Franco keep his unbeaten streak (7-0, 5-0) alive and continue to move up the ranks against a tough Philadelphia fighter Eric “Outlaw” Hunter (15-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout?
* Will both Perry and Hunter be able to take advantage of a great opportunity and play the role of the spoiler on national TV and shock their higher profiled opponents?

All four fighters weighed in on Thursday with Kayode coming in at 199 ¼, Perry at 198 ¾, and both Franco and Hunter tipping the scales at 125 ½ pounds.

What the fighters had to say on Thursday:

LATEEF KAYODE:

“We are not in any rush. It’s one fight at a time.

“We haven’t seen anything on Ed Perry. There are no tapes and nothing on YouTube. He’s a Midwest fighter who we have to get past.

“The knockout does not have to come. That’s what the marketing machines want to see. It’s not all that I’m about. I want to show that I can box too.”

ED PERRY:

“I’m slick. I’m like a snake. I’m a boxer-puncher who just keeps coming at you.

“The name of this game is war tomorrow night. I will come in there and show him what I’m all about. I have more experience than he has and I’ve never been knocked down. I’ve been in the fight game since 1997. So let’s see him bring all the power he can.

“If he wants to just go for the knockout that plays to my advantage. I’m the sleeper here because I have no name. It’s my big opportunity to shine and shock the world. You may only get a call like this once in your life. And when you do, you better be ready for it.

“What’s my game plan? My game plan is to give him a boxing lesson.”

LUIS FRANCO:

“I know I could have done better the last time (a decision win on ShoBox in September). I was fighting someone who resorted to dirty tactics. We did what we had to do to get the W.

“We will take on whoever they put in front of us. We are not discriminating against anyone.

“We’ve only known about this opponent for 10 days. Does that matter? We train and prepare for all types of fighters. (Hunter) is a righty and quicker than the guy we were supposed to fight. It doesn’t matter. We’ll be ready on Friday night.”

ERIC HUNTER:

“I don’t think about where (Franco’s) come from or what he’s done. I have my game plan and he has his.

“I will work off what I see. Whatever he brings is fine with me. I’m ready to do this. I’m never been more ready for anything than I am for this fight.

“I just hope it’s going to be great. I want it to be the best night of my life. I can’t wait to see what happens. But I do want it to just be a great night.”

Snow Brawl results from Rhode Island

Posted on | December 2, 2010 | No Comments

Lauzon traps Trites in Guillotine 1:54 into opening round; Rebello extends win streak to 11

LINCOLN, RI (Dec. 2, 2010) – Ending a bitter feud that’s lasted a year, Dany “The Upgrade” Lauzon (14-4-0) only needed 1:54 to force rival Damien “The Omen” Trites into tapping out by way of a guillotine, headlining tonight’s “Snow Brawl” professional mixed-martial-arts card at Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

“Snow Brawl” was presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s CES MMA, in association with Twin River.

“It was very satisfying,” Lauzon said after the fight. “There was big hype – he hates me, I have him. I don’t hate him, I don’t even care…he’s a clown. It’s squashed. The plan was to be patient. We knew he’d come out fighting angry. My team kept me calm. I could see it in the cage. He came out angry, I fought smart and it was my fight.”

Fighting for the first time in his home state, Providence light heavyweight Greg Rebello (12-2-0) won his 11th straight fight, taking all three rounds for a unanimous 3-round decision against Tiawan Howard (7-6-0) in the co-main event.

Rebello-Howard was fought almost exclusively on the ground with Rebello holding an advantage throughout. “It was great fighting here,” Rebello said. “I took this fight on 2-week notice. I’m a striker, pretty much known for that, but my wrestling and jiu-jitsu was better. He’s strong and tough to finish off.”

In a spirited battle between talented bantamweights, Tateki Matsuda (5-3-0), fighting out of Boston by way of Tokyo, won a hard-fought, 3-round split decision versus a game Jason Bennett (4-3-0).

In a pair of lightweight bouts, Hitalo Machado (7-4-0) won a 3-round decision against hometown favorite, Lincoln’s (RI) Jeff “Candyman” Anderson (5-3-0), while Luiz Rodriguez (4-0-0), of Somerville (MA), remained undefeated by locking a triangle choke on Lionel Young (4-5-0) for a win by first-round submission.

In a fight featuring a pair of fighters making their pro debuts, popular Framingham (MA) middleweight Doug Bolanes blasted Josh Labossiere with a powerhouse right-handed punch that landed square on the jaw, set-up by a left uppercut, for an impressive knockout at 1:11 of the opening round.

Providence favorite Ruben “Rukus” Rey (2-1-0), of Providence, stopped James King (0-2-0) midway through the second round, in a fight contested at a 152-pounds catch-weight, by way of a flying knee kick to the body followed by a strike to the head.

The long anticipated pro debut of Waltham (MA) lightweight Tyson Chartier was a success as he forced Justin Switzer to tap-out from a rear naked choke in the third round.

Go to www.cesmma.com for pictures and schedule of future events.

Complete Results:

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Greg Rebello (12-2-0), Providence, RI WDEC3 (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Tiawan Howard (7-6-0), Cleveland, OH

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Doug Bolanes (1-0-0), Framingham, MA WKO1 (KO1 – strike) Josh Labossiere (0-1-0), Narragansett, RI

165-POUNDS CATCHWEIGHT

Dan Lauzon (14-4-0), E. Bridgewater, MA WSUB1 (1:54 – guillotine) Damien Trites (5-4-0), Allston, MA

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Hitalo Machado (7-4-0), Danbury, CT WDEC3 (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Jeff Anderson (5-3-0), Lincoln, RI

Luiz Rodriguez (4-0-0), Somerville, MA WSUB1 (4:58 – triangle choke) Lionel Young (4-5-0), Brockton, MA

Tyson Chartier (1-0-0), Waltham, MA WSUB3 (3:45 – rear naked choke) Justin Switzer (0-2-0), Lincoln, RI

152-POUNDS CATCHWEIGHT

Ruben Rey (2-1-0), Providence, R WTKO1 (2:09 – flying knee kick & strike) James King (0-2-0), Brockton, MA

BANTAMWEIGHTS

Tateki Matsuda (7-4-0), Danbury, CT WDEC3 (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) Jason Bennett (4-4-0), Middletown, CT

FIGHT OF THE NIGHT: Tateki Masuda-Jason Bennett

FIGHTER OF THE NIGHT: Dany Lauzon

KO OF THE NIGHT: Doug Bolanes

SUBMISSION OF THE NIGHT: Luiz Rodriguez

HENDERSON VS. BABALU FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES: STRIKEFORCE EVENT THIS SATURDAY

Posted on | December 2, 2010 | No Comments

Thursday, Dec. 2, at Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

Telecast Saturday, Dec. 4, Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT

ST. LOUIS (Dec. 2, 2010) – The 10 fighters who will appear on the last STRIKEFORCE fight card of the decade this Saturday, Dec. 4, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) participated in the final press conference Thursday at Scottrade.

In the main event of the televised main card on SHOWTIME, MMA superstar Dan Henderson (25-8), of Temecula, Calif., clashes with former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) of Brazil in a rematch between world-class 205-pounders.

Other televised fights: Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of Nottingham, England, confronts Scott “Hands Of Steel” Smith (17-7, 1 NC), of Elk Grove, Calif., in a matchup of power-punching welterweights (170 pounds), former world champion and exciting local favorite “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6, 1 NC), of Granite City, goes up against 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-7), of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight (185 pounds) bout; Mike “Mak’’ Kyle (18-7), of San Jose, will face Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva (14-2), of Coconut Creek, Fla., by way of Brazil, in a heavyweight match; and Ovince Saint Preux (8-4) of Knoxville, Tenn., will take on Benji “Razor’’ Radach (19-5, 1 NC), of Laguna Beach, Calif., at 205 pounds.

Tickets are on sale at Scottrade Center, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com or by phone (800) 745-3000.

Doors at Scottrade Center will open for the event at 6 p.m. CT. The first of eight scheduled preliminary bouts will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the first televised main card fight will begin at 9 p.m.

What they said Thursday:

DAN HENDERSON

“I don’t care if I respect an opponent or not; my goal is to win, to go in there and beat the other guy up. It’s no secret. I am going to look for a KO.

“I don’t care if he absorbs strikes well. I hit harder than the other guys.

“I leave my opponents up to (STRIKEFORCE CEO) Scott Coker and the fans. If they really want me to face someone, I will.

“You can’t take anything from the first fight with Babalu. I’ve never even looked at a tape.’’

BABALU SOBRAL

“Everybody wants to be a world champion, everybody wants the title. I’ll fight anybody that brings me closer to that.

“This will be a tremendous fight, don’t worry about that. I’m as prepared for this fight as I can be and will do whatever it takes to finish the fight.

“I’m happiest when I am in the cage and can share my passion with the crowd and TV audience.

“We are totally different fighters than we were 10 years ago.’’

PAUL DALEY

“My weight is good. I just want to fight and win. That is my priority. All my fighters are entertaining. It’s a big deal anytime you can beat a middleweight dropping down in weight who has defeated the Cung Le.

“I’m really looking forward to showing the new STRIKEFORCE fans what Semtex is all about and fighting again on SHOWTIME.

“I absolutely appreciate the opportunity I am getting. STRIKEFORCE is showing a lot of faith in me.

“Smith is like a Rocky Balboa the way he keeps coming back to win, but this isn’t a movie. Someone is getting knocked out, and my money is on me.

SCOTT SMITH

“Thanksgiving kind of sucked this year because I knew I’d be cutting weight. But all the hard work is done; now I just have to make the weight and we fight.

“I decided to go down a weight division because I had been making 185 pretty easily. I definitely feel quicker and stronger now.

“Daley is a world-class striker. Both of us play right into each other’s hands. This is a great matchup.’’

ROBBIE LAWLER

“I always expect a tough fight. I’m ready for a good fight on Saturday.”

MATT LINDLAND

“I’m really looking forward to Saturday and fighting Lawler on a phenomenal card. This is a fight that should have taken place a long time ago.

“I’m always looking to finish fights. Lawler’s tough but I’ll finish him with a hold as soon as there is an opening.

“My goal is to win and fight (STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight Champion) Jacare (Souza). I want to redeem myself and take him down.

“Robbie is a hell of an entertainer, but on Saturday I am going to be the star of the show.’’

ANTONIO SILVA

“The late change in opponents makes no difference to me. I want to fight Fedor, (Fabricio) Werdum or (Alistair) Overeem but if they won’t fight me, I’ll just treat my opponent as a top world fighter.

“I want to keep fighting and will continue to keep fighting whoever they put in front of me.’’

MIKE KYLE

“Last-minute fights are common, and I took this fight on five-day’s notice. But that’s why we’re always training at AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) — to always be ready. I’m always in shape.

“This weight’s got me nervous for fighting a big guy like Silva, but I’ll use my speed to win. Despite the size difference, I’m still thinking I’ll get a third-round KO.

“I’m here to win. I’m not taking a fight just to be an opponent. I’ve got nothing to lose.

“I feel good fighting at 205. I want to show that I am one of the best and the best way to do that is to show the best against the best.’’

BENJI RADACH
“I’m nervous but excited to take a fight on short notice. I usually have more of a game plan going into a fight but with 10-day’s notice and with Ovince, I’ll just take what comes.

“I am happy to be fighting anybody again after seemingly a year’s worth of huge speed-bumps (injuries).’’

OVINCE SAINT PREUX
“I was definitely surprised when I got the call from my manager about this fight. I’d just fought, but I was ready and had been working out so I said, “OK, let’s do it.’ I’m looking forward to fighting Saturday and furthering my career with STRIKEFORCE.

“When I first started my MMA career, I was mostly trying to do it alone, but talent can only take you so far. Working with different coaches and with my regular physical conditioning coach has made me stronger, faster and better overall.’’

“I know Radach has been off due to some injuries, but he is definitely a great fighter who hits really hard. But I’m really comfortable slugging. If he wants to bring it on, let’s bring it on. This is definitely going to be a great fight.’’

YONNHY PEREZ & JOSEPH KING KONG AGBEKO, VIC DARCHINYAN & ABNER MARES SHOWTIME BANTAMWEIGHT TOURNAMENT CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

Posted on | December 2, 2010 | No Comments

Four of the world’s most talented bantamweights participated in a national media conference call to discuss The Bantamweight Tournament: Winner Takes All – a two-stage, single-elimination tournament of 118-pounders – which begins with two Semifinal bouts on Saturday, Dec. 11, LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash.

In the opening bout, undefeated, world-ranked rising star Abner Mares (20-0-1, 13 KOs), of Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico, will face two-division world champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan (35-2-1, 27 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, by way of Armenia.

Then, former IBF 118-pound champ Joseph King Kong Agbeko (27-2, 22 KOs), of Bronx, N.Y., by way of Ghana, Africa, will try to earn back the title from the man that won it from him, current IBF champ Yonnhy “El Colombiano” Perez (20-0-1, 14 KOs), of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., by way of Colombia.

With a win over Darchinyan, Mares could earn a rematch against Perez, who he fought to a disputed majority draw last May 22, or face the hard-hitting Agbeko. If Darchinyan wins his semifinal bout, he could face the last man to beat him, Agbeko, who won a close, unanimous decision in July 2009.

Regardless of the scenarios, storylines and matchups, each boxer starts the tournament on Dec. 11 with the same chance to make, and win, the Final – and ultimately earn bragging rights as the best Bantamweight in the world.

All fighters in The Bantamweight Tournament are guaranteed two fights within the tournament structure – Semifinals and Finals. The winners of each Semifinal will fight for the Bantamweight Tournament Championship with the losers fighting in the consolation fight on the same night. In the event of a draw in the Semifinals, SHOWTIME will determine the Championship opponent based on tournament performance.

Highlights of what the fighters had to say on Thursday:

(Note, Mares and Darchinyan participated in the first half of the call, followed by Perez and Agbeko.

PEREZ-AGBEKO OPENING COMMENTS:

PEREZ: “I want to thank all the media and SHOWTIME for making this possible. I can’t wait for December 11th, I can’t wait for this fight. This is the best thing that SHOWTIME could have done. I can’t wait for the bell to ring on December 11th.”

AGBEKO: “I am really excited for this fight and I am so happy to come back and fight. I was a champion for some time and now I am going into the ring not as the champion and I think it is less pressure for me.”

Discuss the experience of fighting someone as hard hitting as Darchinyan.

AGBEKO: “I respect Vic a lot and I am confident in my boxing. I am looking forward to this upcoming fight.”

Do you have an advantage coming into this tournament since you have already fought two of the other participants?

AGBEKO: “I really respect all the fighters, we are all great fighters in tournament. I feel that this is a tournament where I can prove that I am the best. I believe I will come out of this tournament the winner.”

Joseph, why do you expect to win this fight? What happened in the first fight with Yonnhy? What has been happening in the last year since that fight?

AGBEKO: “I am in a competition with myself, I was the champion and I lost it to Yonnhy Perez and I have really been working hard for this fight. It is the fight of my life, the fight of my career. I have to win this fight to become a champion again. I believe I am going to win this fight. Everything was going well in the last fight, but because of the head butt I lost. I wasn’t embarrassed. In the last year, I was supposed to fight a guy but the fight the fight didn’t happen.”

How will this fight be different than the first fight with Joseph?

PEREZ: “I know this is going to be a great war just like the first one was. I know how good of a fighter Agbeko is, I saw and felt him in the ring. I know he is prepared technically and he will try to take the belt, but I have prepared myself to keep the belt – no one will take it away from me. My preparation is a key for this fight. It is going to be a terrific event and a very good fight.”

You were a bit disappointed with the first bout and scorecards. When you watched the fight on tape did you see anything you could do differently in this fight to get a better edge?

AGBEKO: “Looking at the old fight, which I watched a couple of times, the only thing I shouldn’t have done when it happened is me stopping, I should have continued after the head butt.”

How is your gameplan different?

AGBEKO: “Yonnhy is a good fighter, very tough and good conditioning. This time it is going to be a different fight all together. He throws a lot of punches, he is a very good fighter and this time it is going to be a different fight all together. Physically, I am very prepared for this fight. Yonnhy is a very busy fighter, and this is going to be a war, because I am coming ready for war. I know he is tough and can punch and that is what I am coming with as well.”

Perez, do you see yourself as the favorite in the tournament?

PEREZ: “It’s really something that is not important to me, what people say and think of me. The only person that I have to show and demonstrate to is myself. If people have forgotten about Yonnhy Perez, they have forgotten the champion of this tournament, but that doesn’t make a difference to me. All I have to prove is that I can be the best in my division and they will realize who I am.”

Can you talk about what Agbeko said about the last fight?

PEREZ: “I know very well who was doing the head butting the night of October the 31 (2009). I know Agbeko was a great fighter, but I want him to stop complaining about the head butting. The one who had the eyebrows that needed to be stitched was Yonnhy Perez. Ask Vic as well, he (Agbeko) didn’t bust his face because of his punches, he busted his face because of his head. I wish that he stops complaining about the head butting that night. I only ask that he gets prepared because we gave the fans a great fight. I am ready he is ready, and lets do it again.”

AGBEKO: “I don’t agree with that, but this fight is going to be a different fight. When we get into the ring, we are going to know who the best fighter is. He has had my belt for a year and I am going to get my belt back.”

What are your thoughts about the other fight on this telecast?

PEREZ: “I really haven’t put too much though into it. I am really just focused on my fight about Agbeko. My main concern is the guy who is going to be in front of me, Agbeko. I respect all the fighters and I am willing to fight anyone because after I beat Agbeko it will be a war with anyone else.”

AGBEKO: “I think it (Darchinyan-Mares) is going to be a very strong and beautiful fight. I have a fight in front of me on the same night, may the best fighter win and face me in the finals.”

DARCHINYAN-MARES OPENING COMMENTS:

DARCHINYAN: “I am training well, I am in LA now, been here for the last 20 days. I am very focused on the fight. This is the first time I have been training for this long. He will fight me and I will be very good, fast and strong. He is going to remember me.”

MARES: “Thank you everybody for being on this call. I am really grateful for SHOWTIME and Golden Boy. I have been training hard because I know Vic is a tough, strong fighter and he is a champion. You have to train really hard and win and look good winning against the champion.”

Vic, you have gone between bantam and super flyweight, how comfortable are you at fighting at bantamweight?

DARCHINYAN: “I was looking for a match at super flyweight. When I fought I was inpatient before, I just wanted to knock him out, but I am comfortable at any weight. I can lose as much weight as I want or I can put on as much as I want. It is going to be my show, my tournament. I am going to prove to everyone that I am very skillful and a good puncher. I am very prepared and confident.”

Abner, how do you plan to approach Vic?

MARES: “Vic has proven that he is a power puncher and strong fighter. I think speed is my advantage. I am ready for a slugfest or boxing match. I have trained really hard and this is going to be a great fight.”

Since Agbeko beat Darchinyan and Yonnhy beat Agbeko, does that make you the less experienced fighter?

MARES: “Styles make fights, those styles were perfect for those fights. I am a boxer and I can do both, but the other fighters only have one dimensional fighting styles.”

How do you plan on overcoming Vic’s experience?

MARES: “Vic is a great champion with great experience, but fighting fighters with great experience just makes me strong and a good fighter.”

Richard, talk about how big a young fighter like Abner could be in Mexico and worldwide:

RICHARD SCHAEFER (Golden Boy Promotions): “He has 13 KO’s and you put all of that together and you look at the history of the bantamweight division in Mexico, you can see that they have been looking for the next big star. If he wins the tournament, he could be that next young star. So all of Mexico is going to be looking very closely at this tournament and I am sure the rest of the world will as well.”

Vic, how much of a relief is it to be in this tournament?

DARCHINYAN: “I am very excited about this tournament. I am prepared and all the guys are good. I have fought great champions and great guys, this is a great division. I am proving that I have come back better. I am going to show everyone that I am much stronger. I am going to be faster and stronger and I am going to out-school Abner. I am going to be much stronger and win this tournament easily.

Abner, talk about what it meant to get invited to this tournament.

MARES: “I am really honored and excited. When the decision (against Perez) was done and they said that there was a draw, I thought it was bad. But now you see it was good. I showed a lot of heart against the champion and I think that is what got me in this tournament. I am grateful for those who put me in this tournament. I belong at this level, I am excited and this is what I do.

Vic, are you rooting for Agbeko to revenge your loss?

DARCHINYAN: “Yes I would love to have a rematch with him because there is unfinished business. But it doesn’t matter if he wins or losses I just want to be in the finals. I would love to meet him. I think Agbeko does

a lot of work with his head and I will be careful next time and not let him get too close to me. It is a very complicated fight between Perez and Agbeko and I think it is a very good fight.

MARES: “There is no easy fight, they are both good fighters. I drew against Yonnhy so I would love to fight him. But if Agbeko beats Yonnhy then he is the better fighter and I will fight him. I think the one who stops throwing first will lose. I think it will be a great fight. I think the one who gets tired faster will lose.

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