MOUSASI’S NEXT MOVE

Dylan Bernstein

 Strikeforce LH Champion Gegard ‘The Dreamcatcher’ Mousasi uses all aspects of mixed martial arts to defeat opponents, though his next best move may be outside of the ring, with a multi-fight deal, with either Strikeforce or the UFC.

 By most standards Mousasi is still unknown to most MMA fans, which have not even seen him fight.  Yet, he is one of the most dangerous fighters in mixed martial arts. He comes from a family of Armenian boxers, with whom he’s developed incredible hand speed, knockout power and spot on accuracy.  He grew up in Holland where he studied Judo and kickboxing.  He is a master at cutting down the ring, positioning himself, and closing in on opponents.  He creates and counters, without stepping away or backwards from toe to toe exchanges.  His long limbs and skilled footwork go beyond his boxing foundation with full force, damaging kicks.  And, his judo throws and balance, mixed with master submission techniques, make for a nightmare on the ground.  He has submitted some of the top jujitsu black belts in MMA.  Just to give a slight indication of his submission and ground skills, his ground and grappling partner is none other than ‘The Last Emporer’, himself, Fedor Emelianenko.

 Last week when Bruce Kivo, creator of MMA Confidential, asked me to write an article for his website on Mousasi, I declined.  I had doubts as to where Gegard’s career was going under the direction of his management team, M1 Global.  M1 also manages Fedor.  M1 may be one of the better management and promotion companies in MMA, though Mousasi has yet been challenged with the fights put together by them.  Since last week my mind has changed about writing this article because things have changed for Mousasi.  He and M1 have decided to part ways after his next two fights with the company.  Maybe both parties realized that he is beyond competitive and financial options with M1’s promotions.  Now he will be properly compensated to take on more top tier fighters on a regular basis.  The question is whether he will stay with Strikeforce or eventually join the UFC.

 If he stays with Strikeforce questions may eventually arise about his true standing within MMA light heavyweight polls, because the highest level of competition lies within the UFC.  These same questions have been asked about Fedor in the pound for pound polls. 

 Mousasi has ripped through Strikeforce and Dream’s middleweight and light heavyweight divisions by defeating Denis Kang, Cyborg Santos, Melvin Manhoef, ‘Babalu’ Sobral, Thierry Sokoudjou, Mark Hunt, Renaldo Souza... just to name a few.  At 24 years old he has the calm and ease of a veteran champ.  His record is 28-2-1, where only two of those wins ended in a decision.  He is explosive, a natural finisher, and ends fights in less than two rounds.

 It’s questionable whether or not he will decide to join the UFC.  Dana White’s loud style may turn the ‘Dreamcatcher’s’ quiet demeanor away.  And, the UFC relies on revenue from pay per view sales, where fighters who generally know how to talk a good game draw big sales.  Mousasi’s personality is more of a reluctant schoolboy than a trash-talking, self-promoter.  If he stays with Strikeforce he will also have the option to continue fighting for Dream in Japan.  This will give him an opportunity to remain very busy, fighting six or seven times a year, as opposed to fighting two or, if possible, three times a year in the UFC.  He may also opt to continue with Strikeforce because the freedom of determining his own moves may be more important to this dreamer than being caught and controlled by the UFC.   

His next fight is scheduled in April for Strikeforce on CBS, against Mohammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal.  Lawal was a former three-time U.S. Senior National Wrestling Champion, a Big 12 Champion, and a division 1, all-American at Oklahoma State.  He has   incredible strength and a brutal ground and pound.  He’s got the kind of toughness only true wrestlers posses.  The question is whether he will be able to take Mousasi to the ground and keep him there, without falling prey to the ‘Dreamcatcher’s’ web.  Either way, after this fight, MMA fans will finally know Mousasi’s name and have an opportunity to see him work the cage and his opponent.

FEDOR DEFEATS ROGERS IN A TOUGH ONE

Fedor defends heavyweight title vs. Barnett in Affliction M-1 Global’s “Trilogy”

August 1 PPV Extravaganza in Anaheim

SEAL BEACH, California (June 3, 2009) – Russian combat fighting legend Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko defends his WAMMA heavyweight title against No. 1 contender Josh “The Babyfaced Assassin” Barnett, when Affliction M-1Global presents its third major mixed martial arts show, “Trilogy,” Saturday night, August 1 live on Pay-Per-View from Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

 The monster card has been separated into two live broadcasts in the same night. A one-hour special will air on HDNet starting at 7:30 PM/ET (4:30 PM/PT), followed by the sensational Pay-Per-View event, “Trilogy,” commencing at 9 PM/ET (6 PM/PT).

 Affliction M-1 “Trilogy,” promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and presented by Affliction and M-1 Global in association with Donald J. Trump, features many premier MMA fighters, including the former undisputed PRIDE® Heavyweight Champion, Fedor Emelianenko (30-1-0), the star of Affliction’s first two shows.

 Fedor defeated a pair of former UFC® heavyweight title-holders, Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia (SUB1) in “Affliction Banned,” and Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (KO1) in “Day Of Reckoning,” at Honda Center. Emelianenko is undisputedly the most lethal man in MMA and the definitive heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter in the world. His only loss came in 2000, the result of an illegal elbow thrown by Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, which caused a cut so severe that officials had to stop the fight out of concern for the safety of the fighter.

 In addition to being the best heavyweight fighter in the world, Fedor is also its most popular performer and a genuine Russian icon. He is the darling of the Kremlin and a favorite of former Russian president, Vladimir Putin, who has regularly attended his fights. Beyond the previously mentioned defeats of Sylvia and Arlovski, Emelianenko’s resume includes impressive triumphs over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Mirko Filipovic and Heath Herring.

 Emelianenko’s stiffest career challenge, however, lies ahead at Affliction M-1 “Trilogy,” against another former UFC® Heavyweight Champion, Josh Barnett (24-5-0), who has the size (6-3, 250-pounds), strength, conditioning and experience to present real problems for any fighter, even Fedor. Barnett’s punching power forced Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel to submit at “Day Of Reckoning” and Josh stopped Pedro Rizzo in the second round of their fight on “Affliction Banned.”

 Barnett’s victims also include Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Jeff Monson and Dan Severn. “The Babyfaced Assassin” has already defeated one Emelianenko—Fedor’s brother Aleksander—back in 2006 by second-round submission (keylock).

 In the co-main event, wildly popular Brazilian light heavyweight Renato “Babalu” Sobral (32-8-0) takes on Armenian kick-boxing specialist Gegard “Young Vagabond” Mousasi (25-2-1), fighting out of The Netherlands, in his American debut.

 Also on the PPV card is Brazilian knockout artist Victor “The Phenom” Belfort (18-8-0), former UFC® light heavyweight champion, against an opponent to be determined; Sylvia (24-5-0) faces heavyweight Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello (27-10-0). Former IFL® heavyweight titlist “Big” Ben Rothwell (30-6-0) meets unbeaten prospect Chase Gormley (6-0-0).

 The undercard on HDNet features two young light weights prospects, Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki vs. Dan “The Upgrade” Lauzon; exciting welterweights Jay “The Thoroughbred” Hieron (17-4-0) and Paul “Semtex” Daley (21-8-2); former IFL lightweight challenger Deividas Taurosevicius (10-3-0) and welterweight fan-favorite Brett Cooper (9-4-0).

 Tickets for Affliction M-1 “Trilogy,” ranging between $50.00 and $600.00, go on sale June 8 at Honda Center Box Office (1.714.704.2500) and also online at Ticketmaster.com and all Ticket Master outlets (1.714.740.2000).

Yvel wants to put Rizzo to sleep

Lashley-Sapp headlines June 27MMA PPV show in Biloxi, MS

BILOXI, Miss. (May 27, 2009) – Dutch knockout artist Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel has relocated to the United States and plans to put his June 27^th opponent, 3-time UFC heavyweight title challenger Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo, to sleep in the “Ultimate Chaos” co-feature live on pay-per-view from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley (3-0-0) headlines against K1 and PRIDE combat fighting legend Bob “The Beast” Sapp (10-4-1) on “Ultimate Chaos, presented by Prize Fight Promotions and Fight Force International, in association with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum, Treasure Bay Casino and Budweiser.

“Ultimate Chaos” is being produced and distributed by Gotham MMA and Integrated Sports at 9:00PM ET/6:00PM PT in the United States and Canada on cable and satellite Pay Per View via iNDemand, TVN, DirecTV, Bell TV, Shaw, Star Choice and Viewer’s Choice for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.

Yvel (35-13-1) has stopped 30 of his 35 victims but he has fought only once in the United States, losing this past January to highly-rated heavyweight star Josh Barnett on “Affliction’s – Day of Reckoning.”

“I used to fight in Europe and Japan,” Yvel said. “It was okay, but I’m now living and fighting in a place where fighting is so big, the United States. This is the beginning of a new career for me. I’m a fighter and, in my opinion, takedowns are BS. I don’t want to fight on the ground. I believe there should be one man left standing and the other asleep. If both fighters are still standing, to me, it’s like a draw. I want to win by knockout, not points.

“Pedro used to train in Holland where I’m from and I know a little bit about him. I hope we have a stand-up fight but he’s a black belt in jiu-jitsu and if he’s smart, he’s going to take me to the ground. I hope he fights standing up so I can knock him out.”

Yvel, who won seven straight matches before losing to Barnett, has stopped top fighters such as Valentijn Overseem, Cheick Kongo, Carlos Barreto, Gary Goodridge, Kiyoshi Tamura and Brian Dunn. Gilbert’s career, however, has been surrounded by controversy due to three losses by disqualification.

“Everybody makes mistakes,” Yvel explained. “I don’t live in the past and that was years ago. Every day is new and I’m training to fight to my full potential. I’m a real fighter, the type fans want to see. I’m just being myself. I just want to go in there and hurt somebody. I’m the guy the American public has been waiting for. I bring something new into the cage or ring.”

Always dangerous lightweight Din “Dinyero” Thomas (24-8-0), star of The Ultimate Fighter 4, takes on former King Of The Cage and Gladiator Challenge champion Javier “Showtime” Vasquez (12-2-0), while Canadian lightweight sensation Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (12-1-0) meets 4-time World Muay Thai champion William “The Bull” Sriyapai (12-4-0).

Also fighting on the card are welterweights Brett Cooper (9-4-0) vs. Waachiim “Native Warrior” Spirit Wolf (5-4-0), Affliction vice president Tom Atencio (1-0-0) vs. pro debuting lightweight Randy Hedderick, middleweight James Orso (8-3-0) vs. Colby McMahan (3-1-0), The Ultimate Fighter 3 star Danny Abbadi (3-4-0) vs. veteran middleweight Lance Thomson (4-2-0); welterweight Eric Bradley (2-1-0), 2-time All-America wrestler and 2003 NCAA boxing champion at Penn State, vs. Belfast, Northern Ireland brawler Colin McKee (3-2-0). All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets are priced at $25.00 (limited discount seating), $40.00 (general admission) and $55.00 (premium reserved seating) and sale at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum and all TicketMaster outlets.

For more information go to www.theultimatechaos.com, www.fightforce.org or www.mscoastcoliseum.com. Doors open at 5PM/CT, first fight 6 PM/CT, and the first PPV fight is at 8 PM/CT.

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Live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT

From Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. May 15

NEW YORK (May 4, 2009)—Undefeated power puncher Sarah Kaufman (8-0) will fill the void left by Kim “Sugar Free” Couture and throw down with fellow rising star Miesha Tate (6-1) in a 135-pound contest during the SHOWTIME® televised portion of the inaugural Strikeforce Challengers mixed martial arts (MMA) event at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on Friday, May 15.

Couture’s withdrawal last week created an ideal opportunity for the 23-year-old Kaufman, who is in fighting form after stopping Sara Schneider in the second round of their matchup on April 23.  Kaufman has never been taken the distance in a professional fight. 

“I’m very excited about this fight because I’ve been hearing about Miesha Tate for quite a while,” said Kaufman, a former dancer who hails from British Columbia, Canada.  “I know she has good wrestling and she’s been pretty active.  She’s probably going to want to take the fight to the ground and I’ll want to stay standing so it should be an interesting matchup.”

It was a few years ago that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Adam Zugec opened an MMA school directly underneath the dance studio where Kaufman practiced daily.  After trying a single aerobic kickboxing class, she quickly gravitated towards martial arts. 

“I’m very competitive by nature so I just pushed myself and eventually started competing in grappling tournaments,” explained Kaufman. 

“One day, an opportunity to fight came up so it just seemed like the next logical step for me at that point.  There wasn’t anywhere else I could go with dance unless I wanted to turn professional so I put the dancing aside.”

Since her professional MMA debut three years ago, Kaufman has added a breath of athleticism as well as credibility to the women’s field of competitors in the sport with the speed and force of her hands.

“I have the ability to put a lot of punches together because my conditioning is always really strong.  I let my hands go and, at the same time, I don’t mind taking a shot to give a shot so I think that’s why I’ve performed the way I have so far.”

Whereas Tate was regarded a heavy favorite in the matchup with Couture, she will enter the cage as an underdog against her new, unbeaten opponent.

“I like being the underdog because I have everything to gain and nothing to lose,” said the 22-year-old Tate, who has been on a tear of late, stopping each of her last three opponents in the first round. 

“I think (Kaufman)’s in for a surprise because she’s probably figuring that she’s beaten opponents that fight similar to me.  But, she hasn’t fought me yet.”

A native of Olympia, Wash., Tate was introduced to wrestling during her teen years when a girlfriend convinced her to join their all-boys high school wrestling team.  Tate’s passion for the sport developed as she learned.  Eventually, wrestling led Tate to join the MMA club at Central Washington University. 

Last year, Tate enlisted with Victory Athletics, the elite fight squad headed by MMA star and two-time Matt Hughes conqueror Dennis “Superman” Hallman.

“He’s got so much to offer technically,” she said about her mentor.  “He comes from a wrestling background so his fighting style is very similar to the one I want to develop.”

Undefeated lightweight (155 lb. limit) sensation Billy Evangelista (9-0) will face off with hard-hitting brawler and BJ Penn protégé “Iron” Mike Aina (11-6-1) in the main event live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from the Save Mart Center. 

Also on the SHOWTIME telecast, Aaron Rosa (11-2) will meet Anthony “A Train” Ruiz (21-12) in a light heavyweight (205-pound limit) fight while Lavar “Big” Johnson (11-3) will square off with Carl Seumanutafa (4-2).

Strikeforce Challengers is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. The series was designed to provide today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.