The MMA Digest

Las Vegas, NV ( USA ) — UFC® middleweight champion Anderson Silva, arguably the best mixed martial arts fighter in the world, pound-for-pound, will move up in weight class for the first time when he jumps from middleweight to light heavyweight to fight James “The Sandman” Irvin ( 14-4-1 ) on Saturday, July 19 at The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Silva will square off against the hard-hitting Irvin, who knocked out Houston Alexander in a record-tying eight seconds this past April. Silva vs. Irvin will air LIVE - for the first time ever - on the East and West coast on Spike TV. The fight will be seen at 9:00pm ET and 6:00pm PT, free on Spike TV.

“There has never been a better time to be a mixed martial arts fan,” said Dana White, UFC President. “You get to see Anderson Silva fight for the first time ever as a light heavyweight against James “The Sandman” Irvin, who just tied the record for fastest KO in UFC history with his destruction of Houston Alexander and whose flying knee KO of Terry Martin is an all-time highlight. Silva has been unstoppable in the middleweight division, and now he is looking to test the waters in the light heavyweight division. Fight fans on the West and East coast can see Silva vs. Irvin and a full lineup of great live matchups free on Spike TV Saturday, July 19.”

Tickets for UFC® Fight Night™ Silva vs. Irvin are priced at $450.00, $300.00, $200.00, plus any additional box office or service fees, and are on sale now. Please visit any Ticketmaster location, call 702-474-4000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com to purchase tickets.

Anderson “The Spider” Silva burst onto the UFC scene with a devastating knockout of Chris Leben in June, 2006 which was seen live on Spike TV. A native of Curitiba, Brazil, Silva became UFC Middleweight champ with an impressive TKO over Rich Franklin at UFC 64 in October of 2006, and he has since made four title successful title defenses, with all victories coming via TKO or submission, including a recent win over former PRIDE champion Dan Henderson at UFC 82 in March. Silva, considered by many as the most dominant force the UFC middleweight division has ever seen, is now moving up in weight class to fight the dangerous knockout artist, James Irvin.

Nicknamed “The Sandman,” Irvin, has a propensity for putting his opponents to sleep in dynamic fashion. His flying knee against Terry Martin at UFC 54 in August of 2005 is legendary, and his aforementioned knockout of Alexander tied the record for fastest knockout in UFC history. Fighting out of Sacramento, CA, Irvin has won four out his last five UFC bouts, and a victory over the undefeated Silva would certainly be the career highlight thus far for the 29 year-old slugger.

On the undercard, it’s a battle of two of the rising stars in the heavyweight division as former Purdue University wrestler Jake O’Brien takes on Yuma, Arizona native Cain Velasquez. In January of 2007, O’Brien ( 10-1 ) spoiled the UFC debut of former PRIDE star Heath Herring with a third round decision victory telecast live on Spike TV. Now the skilled grappler from Indianapolis looks to spoil Velasquez’s national television debut on Spike. Velasquez ( 3-0 ) made a triumphant UFC debut in April with an impressive first round knockout of Brad Morris at UFC 83. A victory over O’Brien on Spike’s high-profile fight card will elevate his status among the sport’s top heavyweights.

Brandon “The Truth” Vera ( 8-2 ), fighting out of San Diego, CA, will be moving down in weight from heavyweight to light heavyweight ( 205 lbs ) to fight Reese Andy, who is making his UFC debut. A victory over former UFC champ Frank Mir at UFC 65 in November of 2006 placed Vera in the upper echelon of the heavyweight division. However, a decision loss against Tim Sylvia and a controversial defeat to Fabricio Werdum this past June at UFC 85 have triggered the 30 year-old to drop in weight class to fight at 205 lbs, where he will take on the University of Wyoming’s three-time All American wrestler and former IFL fighter Reese Andy ( 7-1 ). The Seattle native is on a four-fight winning streak and looks continue his winning ways against the veteran Vera.

Also on the card, two highly regarded lightweights will engage in a potential “Fight of the Night” candidate as Hermes Franca takes on Frankie Edgar. Franca ( 19-6 ), a 33 year old Brazilian fighting out of Florida, has won eight of his last nine bouts, including wins over Nate Diaz and Spencer Fisher.

Standing in Franca’s way is Frankie Edgar ( 8-1 ), a superb wrestler from New Jersey who stormed into the UFC with three straight wins in 2007 against highly regarded lightweights Tyson Griffin at UFC 67, Mark Bocek at UFC 74, and Spencer Fisher at UFC 78. Edgar’s last bout was a hard fought defeat at the hands of Gray
Maynard in April, but with the lessons he learned in that bout, Edgar expects to be better than ever on July 18th.

In welterweight action, Anthony Johnson ( 5-1 ) looks to continue his rise up the division ladder as he squares off against Kevin Burns.

Johnson, an incredibly athletic striker from Dublin, GA, is coming off a devastating knockout win over “The Ultimate Fighter 6” finalist Tommy Speer in the first round of their bout this past April in Broomfield, CO. His other win in the UFC was a stunning 13-second knockout of Chad Reiner in June 2007, a fight he took on less than a week’s notice.

Burns ( 7-1 ) made his UFC debut as a late replacement for Ryo Chonan earlier this month at UFC 85 in London. The Iowa native upset veteran Roan Carneiro and earned “Submission of the Night” with his impressive triangle choke.

Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom ( NYSE: VIA, VIA.B ), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC produces over twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Bell ExpressVU, Viewers Choice, SaskTel Max™ and via the Internet worldwide on Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ultimate Fighting, UFC, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.

03/02/2008 10am - 4pm10am - Noon ET
Jorge Rivera
Mike Swick
Jason MacDonald
Octagon Girl™ Edith LaBelle

2pm - 4pm ET
Gabriel Gonzaga
Sam Stout
Octagon Girl™ Edith LaBelle

From Luke Cummo’s website’s forum:

OK so I got into Ohio yesterday about 7pm EST. I think the plane I flew in had propellers on it! We boarded directly from the runway and the Arab guy before me was wearing a ski mask - I am not kidding! I’m not being racialist either. The book I brought to read is called “How the World Really Works” and is basically about how the super-rich banking families and corporations have manipulated mankind to achieve one-world totalitarian government (owned by them). So here I am figuring that my anti-establishment speeches have got me in over my head a little and I boarded a plane whose destination was the side of a mountain.

Anyway, as soon as we boarded the plane I realized that the guy with the ski mask had the right idea because it was very cold on this particular shitbox of a plane. The captain informed us that due to turbulence throughout the flight there would be little to no drink service. Good thing I brought my own.

After landing I picked up my bags and saw the UFC errand boy whose job it was to bring me to the hotel. I told him I’d be renting a car and he said that was cool as long as I checked in with the UFC office in the hotel. So I rented a car and drove to the hotel in the snow. After I got settled in my room and drank my piss I went down to the office to take care of paperwork, get my per diem ($100/day for food and stuff, $500 total), and see whatever else they wanted from my life. At this point it had been about 6 hours since I’d had a smoothie and I was looking forward to getting over to Whole Foods before it closed.

In the office Dan Henderson was sitting with Dana White’s 2nd in command, a lady by the name of Donna. There were 120 event posters on the table and Mr. Henderson and I each signed them one by one at the same time as a UFC employee moved them along like an assembly line. It probably took about 10 minutes. Dan beat me on the first name, but I was faster overall.

I filled out whatever paperwork I had to do for the Ohio commission and the government and whatever else. Then Burt Watson took me on the official scale to check in and I was 173 lbs. with jeans on because I was going commando. Then I did a quick interview for the UFC website.

So finally I could go get something to eat. I fucked up reading Mapquest and had to turn around after going ten minutes in the wrong direction TWICE! I finally had to call the store and with 10 minutes to go I zoomed as fast as I could towards my destination, pulling many illegal maneuvers on the dangerously slippery roads. I found myself cursing Ohio drivers for being so cautious and I probably sounded like a typical New Yorker. I also hung the phone up on my wife because she was less than sympathetic and I was very cranky from hunger and lack of a nap. As Whole Foods came into view it was 10 pm exactly and I was stuck behind a minivan at a red light. With no one else around I pulled out from behind it, blew the light, and slammed on the gas toward the parking lot. I slowed down briefly and tried to make the turn, except the wheels slipped and I crashed into the curb probably at about 20 mph (although I am just guessing). As I drove around today I noticed a rubbing sound coming from the tire that hit the curb. Good thing I got the insurance on the rental car. I didn’t make it in time - as I pulled the car up onto the curb in front of the store I got out and the doors would not open. The guy in the minivan pulled up behind me behind me and asked if I always drove so recklessly. I mumbled back something about food.

As I drove the highway back to the hotel - hungry, tired, and cranky - there was an accident that stopped traffic dead for 45 minutes. My savior was a radio program called Echoes on NPR that helped me to relax. Traffic was diverted off the highway and I asked a young coed in a jeep how to get downtown. Columbus is a college town, niiice.

So I went to bed hungry after consuming various herbal formulas from Jubb’s Farmacy. Its funny how the universe works because that is exactly what I needed. I almost got sick from over-training and when I woke up today the tickle in my throat was gone. I was under 171 lbs. this morning.

I did a bunch of running around today picking up various things for my hotel room such as a blender, a knife, a water heater, groceries, and I also got a haircut and a massage. I ate my first meal at about 11:30 am which was too early because it gave me gas throughout the day. I had a container of sliced melons (cantaloupe and honeydew) and a package of dried watermelon. I also drank a Gingerade flavor GT’s Kombucha.

I just got back to the room and made dinner with the stuff I got today. I made a spicy soup like this:

-First I took some 3 cloves of garlic and blended them up with the juice of a lime, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sun-dried sea salt, agave, and a jabanero pepper.

-Then I added half a container of grape tomatoes, half a container of sun-dried tomatoes, half a red bell pepper, half a portabello mushroom cap, chives, a handful each of sunflower seeds, dulse (sea vegetable), and cilantro , and some ground ginger.

-I blended all of this up and poured it over a sprout mixture of clover, broccoli, and radish that I pretended were noodles.

-On the side I had half an avocado with salt sprinkled on it.

That’s one serving: a bowl of soup and 1/2 avocado. It was soo good I had 2 servings. Right now I’m drinking a giant jar of EZ tea from Jubb’s Farmacy with Gt’s original flavor Kombucha. Besides the tea its got raw honey, sun-dried sea salt, and the juice of two lemons.

Meet UFC Fighters Marcus Davis, Frankie Edgar and Houston Alexander at the F.Y.E. store Friday, Feb 29th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Purchase new UFC DVDs available at F.Y.E!

F.Y.E. Store located at 1500 Polaris Parkway, Columbus OH 43240

 02/25/2008 11:00pm ET/PT on Spike TV

Brazil’s Anderson Sliva prepares to defend his middleweight title against PRIDE® titleholder Dan Henderson. See how they train, what they eat and what they are doing to prepare in their homes in Brazil and California.
Premiere: Monday 2/25, at 11:00pm
Re-airs: Wednesday 2/27, at 11:00pm and Saturday 3/1 at 6pm

Which fighter fighting at UFC 82 fought 3 times in a night in Mexico in 2004?

 Answer

___________________________________________

http://www.lulu.com/content/1905844

http://www.themmadigest.com/2008/01/the-mma-digests-mixed-martial-arts-trivia-book/

The UFC 82 weigh-in will be held at Nationwide Arena on Friday, February 29th. This is free to the public. Doors open at 3 pm. Fighters will be on the scale at approximately 4:00 pm.

There will be a private Fight Club Q&A with Nogueira from 2 pm to 3 pm. Members can check-in from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm.

There will not be an autograph session at the weigh-in. UFC fighters will be signing autographs at the Arnold Classic Expo.

Friday - 10 am to Noon
Jason MacDonald
Houston Alexander
Jorge Rivera
Minotauro Nogueira
Arianny & Edith

Friday - 2 pm to 4 pm
Marcus Davis
Frankie Edgar
Chris Lytle
Sam Stout

Saturday - 10 am to Noon
Marcus Davis
Jorge Rivera
Frankie Edgar
Mike Swick
Gabriel Gonzaga
Arianny & Edith

Saturday - 2 pm to 4 pm
Jason MacDonald
Houston Alexander
Sam Stout
Minotauro Nogueira

Sunday - 10 am to Noon
Rich Frank
Jorge Rivera
Mike Swick
Jason Macdonald
Edith

Sunday - 2 pm to 4 pm
Gabriel Gonzaga
Sam Stout
Edith

Most lines agree Anderson Silva is the favorite for his battle with Dan Henderson March 1st. Henderson remains a slight underdog.

BetUS

Anderson Silva -150
Dan Henderson 120

Sportbet

ANDERSON SILVA -175
DAN HENDERSON +135

BodogLife
Anderson Silva -150
Dan Henderson 120

Cheick Kongo (21-3-1) 6’4”/240 lbs., fighting out of Paris , France , was a fairly unkown Frenchman until he made his UFC debut in July of 2006 against Gilbert Aldana. The Paris native had an impressive record and a stellar reputation as a fearsome kickboxer, but could he compete successfully in the UFC? He answered that question quickly and emphatically as he halted the rugged Aldana in a little over four minutes of the first round. Not everyone was sold though, so Kongo jumped back in the Octagon™ a month later to face Christian Wellisch. Kongo survived an early submission attempt to knock out his foe with a knee at 2:51 of the opening round, and a star was born in the heavyweight division. In this game, nothing can be taken for granted, and at UFC 64 Kongo was upset by Carmelo Marrero. At UFC 70 he came back with an impressive win over Brazil ’s Assuerio Silva and then a dominating three round unanimous decision win over feared striker Mirko Cro Cop. As 2008 begins he finds himself up against Heath Herring, knowing that he may be just one win away from challenging for the title he has longed for since he began training. Herring (27-13-1) 6’4”/250 lbs., fighting out of Las Vegas, is really a true Texan from the top of his ten-gallon hat to the bottom of his cowboy boots. The Waco-born “Texas Crazy Horse” loves to make the Lone Star State proud with his aggressive style and world-class MMA game. Herring is the owner of standout wins over Mark Kerr, Igor Vovchanchyn, and Gary Goodridge, but he also knows that his ascension up the UFC ranks is riding on his fight against fellow contender Cheick Kongo. Despite having ten years under his belt as a professional fighter and a well-deserved status as one of the best heavyweights of this era, Herring, having seen it all in the fight game, still feels he’s got a lot of accomplish.

Chris “The Crippler” Leben (17-4-0) 5’11”/185 lbs., fighting out of Oahu , HA is a season one sparkplug from The Ultimate Fighter® series who used his aggressive style and brash personality to gain a legion of fans. While building an unbeaten 5-0 Octagon record that included wins over Patrick Cote, Edwin Dewees, Jorge Rivera, and Luigi Fioravanti, Chris Leben hit hard times over a 12 month period in 2006-2007 as he was beaten by current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Jason MacDonald, and Kalib Starnes, while only managing one knockout win over Jorge Santiago. “The Crippler” is not one to give up on his dream of a world championship though, and he got back to business last September with a spectacular knockout of Terry Martin, and now he will face another hard-hitting foe in Alessio Sakara. After the “Legionarius” (16-6-1) 6’0”/ 185 lbs. fighting out of Miami , Fla. , built a reputation as a fighter to watch in the UFC with his fights against Ron Faircloth and Elvis Sinosic, Sakara hit a wall in his MMA career with losses to Dean Lister, Drew McFedries, and Houston Alexander. Sometimes a defeat can teach you more about character than a victory, and Sakara believed this to be true in his case. At UFC 70 in April, this former pro boxer showed his resilience in style as he stopped Victor Valimaki in the first round, and he began a new winning streak in January by stopping James Lee. Sakara returns to the Octagon to face veteran Leben.

Evan Tanner (34-6-0) 6’0”/185 lbs., fighting out of Las Vegas is a former UFC Middleweight Champion. Name a top fighter at 185-pounds, and Tanner has probably fought him. Rich Franklin, David Loiseau, Phil Baroni, David Terrell, and Robbie Lawler; a who’s who of middleweight mixed martial artists, all dot the resume of the Amarillo, Texas native. A veteran of 40 MMA bouts, the 37-year-old Tanner has seen it all in the fight game, and after an almost two-year hiatus from the sport, he’s ready to begin another chapter of his career with his bout against Yushin Okami. Kanagawa, Japan’s Okami (22-4-0) 6’2”/185 lbs., has torn through the middleweight ranks since arriving in the UFC in 2006, defeating Mike Swick, Alan Belcher, Kalib Starnes, and Rory Singer along the way. It was in a close decision loss to Rich Franklin last June that Okami truly showed that he belongs among the elite at 185 pounds as he pushed the former UFC champion to the limit and almost submitted him in the final round of a closely contested bout. Now, the powerful Okami, who got back in the win column last October against highly-regarded Canadian contender Jason MacDonald, will look to move closer to a rematch with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva by beating former 185-pound champ Tanner.

Jon Fitch (20-2-1) 6’0”/170 lbs., fighting out of San Jose , Calif. , by his own account, was “a mediocre college wrestler.” This, despite being a four year letter winner at Purdue, the 2002 team captain and winner of the Most Dedicated Big Ten Conference Scholar-Athlete Award. For the Fort Wayne native though, this just wasn’t enough, and looking back now he chalks it up not to his talent, but to his attitude. It wasn’t until graduate school that everything clicked. After he packed his bags to move to California and pursue a career in mixed martial arts, the lessons he learned not only became applicable, they became essential, especially as he rose up the welterweight ranks. Now unbeaten in seven Octagon battles, Fitch has arrived on the world stage, but you won’t hear him referring to himself in the third person or calling out everyone at 170 pounds. He’s going to stay the same fighter and man he’s always been as he takes on newcomer Chris “The Professor” Wilson. A well rounded battler from Portland , Ore. , “The Professor” (11-3-1) 6’1”/170 lbs., makes his UFC debut after four years of building a reputation as one of the most talented welterweights in the game today. Owner of victories over UFC veterans Brandon Melendez, Jay Hieron, and Derrick Noble, the 30-year old is eager to add Fitch to that list.

Andrei “Pit Bull” Arlovski 6’4”/240 lbs., (13-5-0) fighting out of Chicago , is a former UFC heavyweight champion. With a UFC resume boasting nine wins in 13 fights the feared “Pit Bull” is one of the most well-known fighters in the entire organization. Arlovksi has established himself as a dangerous striker and efficient grappler, but after a devastating two-time defeat to Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia, Arlovski went back to the drawing board. The 29-year old heavyweight begins his comeback journey after two straight wins over Marcio Cruz at UFC 66 and Fabrico Werdum at UFC 70. This third fight on his path back to victory will either make or break him when he meets the wild O’Brien. Jake “Irish” O’Brien 6’3”/230 lbs., (10-0-0) is an aggressive wrestler with a flawless record in the UFC. The heavy-handed ground and pound specialist took on Heath the “Texas Crazy Horse” Herring in his last fight over a year ago only to demolish him and put a unanimous decision win under his belt. After being sided to injuries, the undefeated O’Brien will dual UFC legend Arlovksi for another win or his first loss.

Luke “The Silent Assassin” Cummo 6’0”/170 lbs., (9-4-0) fighting out of Long Island , NY has knock-out power most fighters dream of having. Cummo is a serious striker with BJJ skills as well as talents in the martial art known as Jeet Kune Do founded by the legendary Bruce Lee. The New Yorker has a quirky reputation outside the Octagon, but it is mostly his exciting fights inside the eight-sided cage which keep his name in the mouths of UFC fans. This fight will undoubtedly go to blows when he takes on another striking specialist, Fioravanti. Luigi Fioravanti 5’8”/170 lbs., (12-3-0) fighting out of St. Petersburg , Fla. is a former United States Marine who fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a military man trained in MMA, Fioravanti has good takedown defense and excellent striking ability. Having a rollercoaster career in the UFC hasn’t stopped Fioravanti from still fighting his heart out. It is this determination and intense training that could make his match-up against Cummo the fight of the night at UFC 82: Pride of a Champion.

Josh “Kos” Koscheck 5’10”/170 lbs., (11-2-0) fighting out of Fresno , Calif can boast being part of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. With a wrestling background and noteworthy athleticism Koscheck is considered a young seasoned fighter with an exciting career. “ Kos ” only has two losses in the UFC including his last fight against interim UFC Welterweight World Champion Georges St-Pierre. The 30-year old Pennsylvania native takes this fight against the nine years younger, Hazelett to prove he has no plans on staying in the losers circle. Dustin Hazelett 6’1”/170 lbs., (12-3-0) fighting out of Cincinnati , fights in his home territory on March 1. This young fighter is a force in his division riding high on three consecutive wins two of which were submissions over Jonathan Goulet and Stevie Lynch. With the heart of a gladiator and the skills of a BJJ specialist Hazelett’s abilities will be put to the test when he dukes it out with the experienced Josh Koscheck.

Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez 5’11”/170 lbs., (19-2-0) fighting out of San Diego , Calif , is a well-known fighter in the welterweight division. With noteworthy wins including a knockout of Joe Riggs, and unanimous decision defeat over welterweight force Karo Parisyan, Sanchez still has much to prove after two consecutive losses. As an excellent grappler, this young fighter will take his skills and experience to the Octagon when he shows Bielkheden why he’s named the “Nightmare”. David Bielkheden 5’10”/170 lbs., (12-5-0) fighting out of Stockholm , Sweden is a member of the world-renowned Brazilian Top Team. Making his UFC debut in Columbus , Bielkheden is a seven year pro in mixed martial arts who has scored 12 wins in 17 fights. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, the 28-year old has five submission wins, including one over UFC veteran Chalres McCarthy in 2004. When these two warriors go to battle it will be a true test of skill, but only one can walk away a winner.

Jorge Gurgel 5’9”/155 lbs., (14-3-0) fighting out of Cincinnati , will attempt to redeem himself in Columbus after a loss to Alvin Robinson in his hometown. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt with an aggressive attitude, Gurgel is more than a submission specialist. As a pro kick boxer and a skilled muay thai artist and wrestler, Gurgel has demonstrated his well rounded abilities when he defeated Diego Saraiva in July 2007 after 15 minutes of left and right strikes. It will surely be a test of his determination when he takes on Halverson in a lightweight battle. John “The Hurricane” Halverson 5’9”/155 lbs. (16-5-0) fighting out of Des Moines , IA also comes off a loss to lightweight superstar Roger Huerta. The heavy-handed “Hurricane” who is best known for his boxing background had a chance meeting with the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” of the UFC, Tito Ortiz, and quickly switched over to MMA. The 35-year old Iowa native can take a hit as well as give one, and plans on landing the winning punch when he meets Gurgel on Saturday, March 1.

Chris Leben stopped by MMA.tv to answer some questions, his initial statement is posted followed by the informal q&a b forum members:

I am signed to fight Alessio Sakara on March 1st. I am excited for this challenge. I just returned home to Hawaii from 3 weeks of training with Matt Hume. I will continue training hard and am committed to show up March 1st in the best shape of my life to give Sakara the challenge he deserves. I am sure he will do the same.

I’d like to answer any questions you may have. I appreciate the fans I have and even the fans of MMA that are not fans of mine.

  What is your training like for this fight?

Morning is cardio (run koko crater/swim/circuit/drilling, etc.)…afternoons are hard fight preperation. Evenings is footstomping.

Awesome to see you on here man! Great to see the UFC dishing out some dough for ya man!

Who would you like to face after getting passed Sakara (Cuz you’re going to, IMO)

Thanks! Im happy with the new contract. I really don’t care who I face. My goals are to continue to improves as a martial artist.

You still in Hawaii? Hows that goin?

If you were to fight Anderson again, what changes in strategy would you employ?

Hawaii is the best! It’s my home. As far as Anderson goes…id try and get hit in the head less. And hit him in the head more. But actually the key is probably better footwork…i just went str8 forward and allowed him to implement his game.

What is your grappling background,  under who, and have you ever competed in tournaments ?

i wrestled in HS…trained with Team quest as AMC kickboxing and various other people who have helped me. Ive competed in several tournaments..i think they are great.

Hey Chris glad to have you aboard,keep in mind that this place can be harsh & that you got to take the good with the bad.Don`t let the MINORITY ruin it for the MAJORITY by leaving.

thanks…i actually like being available to fans…even if they hate me! lol

How did you get your start in MMA? Did you Wrestle in College or just Highschool?

I started as a fan..but i never actualy trained till i found team quest. I heard about it through my brother who was selling cars there. 6 mos later..1st mma fight.

How do you feel about the well known UFC fighters leaving in droves (Randy, Cro Cop, Tito, Arlovski, etc)? Do you yourself feel you are treated fairly? I ask this because I recently saw that you signed a new contract with the UFC for $25K to fight and $25K to win and I was wondering if this was something you are happy with or if you realize that you are only 27 years old so taking a smaller payday for bigger notoriety is the way to go at this time so you can cash in on your name when you’re in your prime (30-25)

I think every fighter should have good people around them they trust to help advise them (after all our own decisions got us getting hit in the head for a living..how bright can we be?). With good advise I don’t blame any fighter for doing what they think is best for their career. I am happy with my current contract and feel I have a home in the UFC.