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Diaz taps Miller, rolls into lightweight title picture at UFC on FOX 3

Nate Diaz dominated his third straight fight to earn No. 1 contender status at 155 pounds. (Photo courtesy of Heavy MMA).

East Rutherford, N.J. – Calculating, precise and ultimately devastating, Nate Diaz left no doubt as to where he stands in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division.

In what could once again be described as the best performance of his career, Diaz defeated perennial contender Jim Miller with a second-round guillotine choke in the UFC on FOX 3 main event Saturday night at the Izod Center.

Diaz’s destruction of local favorite Miller via a second-round guillotine choke gives the Caesar Gracie-trained fighter his third dominating win in a row and the No. 1 contender spot at 155 pounds. UFC President Dana White clarified the lightweight picture in the post-fight press conference, confirming that Diaz would only face Anthony Pettis if he wanted to, which contradicted a report from Friday. Diaz said he would instead wait for the winner of the rematch between current champion Benson Henderson and former champ Frankie Edgar, which is expected to take place in early fall.

“He’s tough,” Diaz acknowledged. “I worked hard and let the training do the talking.”

After a first round in which he got the better of the striking despite Miller effectively countering his reach with clinch work, Diaz flashed his ground work with a slick transition into the guillotine. Miller tried to roll through but Diaz stayed with him, forced the tap out and improved to 3-0 since his cut back down to 155 pounds. In his last three fights Diaz has submitted Takanori Gomi and Miller with a dominating decision win over Donald Cerrone. Miller lost for just the second time in 10 fights and was finished for the first time in his career.

“Nate controlled the fight from bell to bell,” Miller said. “He took the momentum and never let me get any significant shots in there. He fought a beautiful fight. He had my number.”

Miller immediately looked to close the distance in the first round and was able to get inside and into the clinch not he much longer Diaz. But Diaz manufactured strikes from in tight and eventually stunned Miller with a right jab, straight left combo. Miller escaped danger from a late grappling sequence but the round was Diaz’s on two of the three judges scorecards. Interestingly, judge Bittencourt gave each fighter a 10 in the first round.

The second round sam Miller uncharacteristically respond to taunting by Diaz with a charging, flying knee attempt. Diaz stalked with ranged boxing attacks before sinking in a the guillotine. Miller tried to roll out of it but Diaz secured the choke and forced Miller to tap at the 4:09 mark the second round.

Diaz improves to 16-7 overall and 11-5 in the UFC. Miller is 1-2 in last three fights and fell to 21-4 and 10-3 in the UFC.

MMA DieHards Counterpunch: UFC on Fox 3

Nick Diaz and Jim Miller set to face at UFC on Fox 3 (Photo courtesy of bleacherreport.com)

MMA DieHards is back with another session of Counterpunch, taking on UFC on Fox 3, which takes place Saturday at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

UFC on Fox 3 features a lightweight title contender bout between Jersey’s own, Jim Miller and west coast fighter, Nate Diaz. Welterweight Josh Koscheck looks to slow down Johny Hendricks pace, while Alan Belcher and Rousimar Palhares both look for their fourth straight win and Lavar Johnson meets Pat Barry to start the main card.

MMADieHards.com put together a team of our finest writers to bring you Counterpunch for the event. The group independently makes its selections for each fight. Minority picks will be defended by one of the panelists making that selection.

Joining us this week will be Joe Rizzo, Mark Hensch, Bob Badders and Robert G. Reynolds.

While unanimously selected fight winners are not covered, below is the listed match, the fighter being defended and the author of the defense.

Mike Massenzio vs. Karel Vemola
Defending Vemola: Mike Stetskowski

There’s a reason this fight was originally scheduled to be dark, with Vemola being 1-2 in the UFC, and Massenzio a dismal 2-4. I would love to make a pick with the whole hometown fighter winning with the crowd behind him but I’m taking Vemola here. I could pick it solely on nicknames, the “Terminator” being way better than “Master of Disaster.” I really feel the difference will be his size, what with the light heavyweight and heavyweight experience that Vemola has on his resume. “The Terminator” should take this in Rd. 2 via TKO.

Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
Defending Lineker: Bob Badders

I’m not going to lie, this pick sure felt and looked a little cozier before Lineker missed weight by a pound and was fined $1,200. It’s hard to overlook his 13-fight win streak since dropping down to the bantamweight and flyweight classes, even if the sample is strictly from his home country of Brazil. The lighter weights are among the most competitive and populated in Brazil and Lineker has dominated there, most recently winning the Jungle Fight bantamweight belt. Saturday will mark his UFC debut and first fight outside Brazil. His weight issues, albeit minor, illustrate at least some reason for concern. The experience edge goes his way with 24 professional fights to just seven for Gaudinot. The question is can Gaudinot avoid Lineker’s knockout power in his hands or put a dent in his iron chin. It was a tough Friday for Lineker, but look for the 22-year old to make a name for himself Saturday night.

Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish
Defending Cholish: Bob Badders

On paper it should be easy to pick the winner of John Cholish vs. Dan Castillo. The WEC veteran Castillo has fought under the ZUFFA banner since 2008, going a combined 8-4 and entering off wins over Shamar Bailey and Anthony Njokuani. He’s been a staple of the lightweight division for over three years, no simple task in arguably the promotion’s deepest weight class. Cholish, however, may not be under the radar much longer. The Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu product is John Danaher’s latest prodigy, combining Division I caliber wrestling with slick submissions. On his feet he is steadily improving as evident by his second-round knockout of Mitch Clarke at UFC 140. Cholish lost his first pro fight in 2007, but since then all he’s done is go 8-0 with seven finishes. I think Cholish is one of the top prospects waiting for an opportunity to shine. Here’s that chance. Cholish, by submission in an upset.

John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss
Defending Krauss: Mark Hensch

I’m picking Pascal Krauss largely because he seems like the more versatile fighter. “Panzer” picked up martial arts with a successful amateur boxing career, and from there he competed at the top level in wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu too.

Such diversity has left Krauss undefeated, and it’s a quality I believe he’ll retain after having his way with Hathaway. Though Hathaway has fought more experienced opponents, Krauss is equally at home trading leather as he is switching submission attempts. Variety is the spice of life, and I’ll wager that Krauss has too much of it for Hathaway to handle here.

Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Defending Johnson: Joe Rizzo

Johnson is making his second appearance on a FOX card, and the reason is because he is a heavyweight who is not afraid to go for knockouts. Barry might not be the perfect opponent, with his powerful and accurate K-1-level kicks combined with sharp hands. But Johnson is not looking for holes in order to sneak through his punches, he’s more willing to smash in order to get his hand raised. Joey Beltran had never been knocked out until UFC on FOX 2 in January, but Johnson blasted his way to the KO of the night, anyway. Just a slight underdog, Johnson has more than the puncher’s chance here, and will break through to get Barry before Barry gets him. If you’re looking at the over-under of 1 1/2 rounds, you might even want to wager on the quick finish.

Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares
Defending Belcher: Robert G. Reynolds

Not selecting Belcher in this situation may prove to be a costly mistake in the realm of Counterpunch. Currently, he matches Palhares’ three fight win streak, however, the game changer here is going to be the take down defence of Belcher.

Sure, the Brazilian is a big, strong and has many tools to work Belcher with. But once the storm has passed in the first round, Palhares is going to be frustrated and he will beg for the takedown; that is when the tables will turn. Expect Belcher to start picking apart Palhares in the second round, ultimately finishing him via TKO early in the third round.

Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
Defending Hendricks: Mark Hensch

This is an interesting, unpredictable matchup that I had trouble calling at first. I’m hanging my hat on Hendricks, however, as he edges out Koscheck every step of the way on paper.

For starters, Koscheck’s biggest weapon is his wrestling. Unfortunately for him, Hendricks is as good a grappler as he is. In terms of striking, Koscheck knows how to throw but “Bigg Rigg” lobs hands of stone that hit much, much harder. Last but not least, some say Koscheck’s experience gives him the edge, but I think that’s a copout to Hendricks’ youth, momentum and vitality.

The real x-factor here, however, is Koscheck’s camp. Formerly a diehard AKA member, he’s since made a messy break with his ex-teammates and one has to wonder how it’s altered his training. Though I don’t believe old dogs can’t learn new tricks, my guess is Koscheck’s new coaching will prove too big a change for an opponent who quite frankly would have equaled or exceeded him anyways. My educated guess is that Hendricks has this one bagged.

Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Defending Miller: Joe Rizzo

As they so often do, my MMADieHards.com colleagues have left me a gift, picking the underdog Diaz against the solidly favored Miller. I’m not quite sure what they’re in love with. Maybe it’s the mystique of the take-it-or-leave it Diaz brothers. Maybe it’s Nate’s lanky frame at 155 pounds. Perhaps they’re swayed by the Diaz’s trademark work rate on the feet, or ability to defend submissions and create offense on the ground.

Whatever it is, they’re better against the wrong UFC brother.

Miller is also part of a fighting family, and his brother Dan’s toddler son, Daniel Jr., is never far from focus with his need for a kidney transplant. Jim Miller is fighting in front of his friends and family, about a half-hour from AMA Fight Club’s main location in North Jersey, looking to bring some focus to his nephew’s great need.

But it’s all secondary, since Miller’s skill set is a nightmare for Diaz. Miller’s not going to be submitted, and proved that against Mark Bocek. He’s not going to get knocked out, as he showed in falling to Benson Henderson. Miller is not going to be intimidated by what appears to be a more physically gifted athlete, as evidenced by his finish of Melvin Guillard.

Diaz will be hard-pressed to sustain enough offense in a grinding fight during which Miller will nullify his weapons, and the New Jersey native will walk away with a unanimous decision in an up-tempo and action-filled five-round fight.

Miller, Diaz on weight for UFC on FOX 3 clash

by Bob Badders on May 5, 2012 12:45:59 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Nate Diaz (left) and Jim Miller square off Saturday in a pivotal lightweight contender bout. (Photo courtesy of MMAJunkie.com)

East Rutherford, N.J. - Lightweight contenders Jim Miller and Nate Diaz were both on weight Friday for their main event fight at UFC on FOX 3.

Both Diaz and Miller weighed in at an even 156 pounds for Saturday night’s clash, which headlines the UFC’s third network broadcast on FOX. Diaz, who had originally been promised a title shot with a win over Miller, looked lean and healthy for what will be his third fight at 155 since dropping back down from the welterweight division. Diaz is 3-3 in his last six fights, but has turned a corner with thoroughly impressive victories over Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone in his two most recent bouts. He earned Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses, respectively, in those wins.

Miller, a New Jersey native, is 10-2 in his UFC career and is coming off a first-round submission of Melvin Guillard in his previous fight. A loss to current UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson in August 2011 snapped a seven-fight winning streak that dated back to July 2009.

Ariel Helwani reported Friday that, in a last minute change-up, the winner of Saturday’s Miller-Diaz fight will now face Anthony Pettis to determine the No. 1 contender. With Henderson’s rematch with former champ Frankie Edgar likely to take place in September that would leave a nine-month wait for the next No. 1 contender, so another rung on the ladder has been added for the Miller-Diaz winner.

Co-headliners Josh Koscheck (170.5) and Johny Hendricks (170.5) were both on weight for their welterweight battle that is set to give Hendricks a title shot if he can emerge victorious. Hendricks initially weighed in at 171.5 before stepping behind the towel to shed the remaining clothing weight.

The only fighter not to make weight was flyweight John Lineker, who came in one pound over at 127 pounds for his fight against Louis Gaudinot. Fighters typically have two hours to lose the weight, but Lineker was denied the opportunity to cut any additional weight by the commission doctor. He was fined $1,200 for missing weight. That money now goes to Gaudinot.

The official UFC on FOX 3 weigh-in results include:

Main card: (FOX, 8PM ET/5PM PT)

Nate Diaz (156) vs. Jim Miller (156)

Josh Koscheck (170.5) vs. Johnny Hendricks (170.5)

Alan Belcher (186) vs. Rousimar Palhares (186)

Pat Barry (244) vs. Lavar Johnson (253)

Preliminary card: (Fuel TV, 5PM ET/2PM PT)

Tony Ferguson (154.5) vs. Michael Johnson (156)

John Dodson (126) vs. Tim Elliot (125)

John Hathaway (169) vs. Pascal Krauss (169)

Louis Gaudinot (126) vs. John Lineker (127)

Danny Castillo (155) vs. John Cholish (155.5)

Dennis Bermudez (145.5) vs. Pablo Garza (145)

Preliminary card: (Facebook, 4PM ET/1PM PT)

Roland Delorme (135) vs. Nick Denis (135)

Mike Massenzio (184) vs. Karlos Vemola (185)

*Lineker was fined $1,200 for missing weight and was denied the opportunity to cut any additional weight by the NJ commission doctor.

Bellator 67: Chandler defeats a legend, Baker secures tournament final, while Grabowski and Ford make successful debuts

by Robert G. Reynolds on May 4, 2012 11:16:11 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Michael Chandler victorious over Akihiro Gono at Bellator 67 (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

Making their second trip to Canada in as many months and their third trip to Casino Rama, Bellator brought another stacked card of guaranteed excitement.

In a super-fight that lived up to the hype, Michael Chandler made quick work of the traveling Akihiro Gono and Bryan Baker solidified his spot in the welterweight tournament finals by defeating Ben Saunders by unanimous decision.

Heavyweight Damian Grabowski made the trip to Canada to earn a decisive win over Dave Huckaba, while opening the night, Canadian favorite Ryan Ford finished Luis Santos via TKO in his inaugural bout with the organization.

For the main event of the evening, MMA journeyman, Gono, added another organization to his resume as he looked to shock the world in a non-title bout against Bellator’s lightweight champion, Chandler.

Excited to get back in to the cage after winning his title, Chandler didn’t take long to make his presence felt in welcoming Gono to the caged ring. It only took 56-seconds before the champ landed a right hand that sent Gono back to Japan. Once Gono was on his back, Chandler delivered piston-like punches until referee Yves Lavigne stepped in to call a halt to the fight.

Chandler extends his perfect record to 10-0 while adding an MMA legend to his list victories.

In the first welterweight semi-final bout, Saunders was looking to make it to his second consecutive tournament final, but Baker had another plan.

Coming out to the opening bell, the fighters circled before going in for the attack, which saw Saunders landing his trademark knees to the body of Baker. Saunders tried to impose his stand up, but ended up on his back for his efforts. Much of the second and third rounds proved to be the same, with Baker eventually taking the bout to the mat and controlling “Killa B.”

Ending the bout with a power-slam, Baker goes on to take a unanimous decision win and advance to the welterweight tournament finals.

The fight between heavyweights Grabowski and Huckaba was expected to be a quick finish – however, it was the exact opposite.

Both fighters had their time to shine during the 15-minutes of action, but neither took complete control of the bout. As a result, the judge’s stepped in to make the final decision, unanimously giving it to Grabowski.

Starting out the night was a fast paced bout between the Canadian, Ford, and the experienced Brazilian, Santos. An exciting and energetic first round led Ford to finishing Santos via TKO early in the second round.

The win moves Ford’s overall record to 18-4, while the loss is a small blip in the 50-8 record of Santos.

UFC on Fox 3: Green means go for Louis Gaudinot

by Mark Hensch on May 2, 2012 1:08:38 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

UFC flyweight Louis "Goodnight" Gaudinot weighs in for his "Ultimate Fighter" Season 14 fight in Las Vegas last year. (Photo courtesy of ufc.com)

UFC flyweight Louis “Goodnight” Gaudinot’s fighting career is all about standing out from the pack.

For starters, the 5-2 Hoboken, N.J. fighter can claim a stint on the 14th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” for his meteoric rise up the MMA ranks. Not content for mere exposure on the hit TV show, he went on to win “Fight of the Season” accolades in a submission loss to Dustin “The Disciple” Pague. Nearly a year later, Gaudinot (Twitter: @LouGaudinotUFC) credits the show as pivotal boost to his career.

“Being on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ got my name out there instead of coming into the UFC by the usual route,” Gaudinot told MMADiehards on Tuesday’s MMA Beatdown. “Recognition is the biggest thing. You’re on the show for 12 or 13 weeks and people seeing you every week is definitely good for your career.”

It helped that punk rock style stood out in a house of 16 aspiring UFC athletes. When he wasn’t putting on star-making fights, Gaudinot was attracting constant stares with his bright green hair. With his season now over, it’s a look the flyweight said isn’t leaving anytime soon.

“I’ll always have the green hair,” Gaudinot declared. “It’s my trademark. It helps people recognize me. I can’t get rid of it.”

Gaudinot will next try making his mark with a UFC on Fox 3 match against Brazil’s 19-5 John “Mao-de-Pedra” Lineker on Saturday. On paper, it’s a close contest as both men are debuting in the UFC’s flyweight division. Gaudinot, however, maintains he’ll have an advantage given that Lineker doesn’t love fighting at 125 lbs. like he does.

“All my pro fights have been at flyweight,” said Gaudinot, who moved up to bantamweight for his “Ultimate Fighter” exhibition match. “It’s my natural weight class. It feels good to be back where I started. It feels like I’m home.”

Such confidence doesn’t mean Gaudinot is looking past Lineker. On the contrary, he said he sees his opponent as a tough challenge to overcome.

“Lineker’s put together a nice run of 12 wins in a row, 13 wins in a row,” Gaudinot said. “He likes to swing and throw bombs. At the same time, I’m not seeing him dropping anybody with one punch. I’m looking to go in there and trade with him.”

It’s a high risk, high reward strategy in the UFC’s new flyweight division. Launched with a four-person title tournament in March, a champion remains uncrowned as semi-finalist Joseph “Joe B-Wan Kenobi” Benavidez awaits the victor of Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall vs. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in June. For division rookies like Gaudinot, it won’t take long entering the rankings and storming the title holder’s gates.

“Right now the flyweight division is up in the air,” said Gaudinot, who estimates the UFC has signed eight flyweights besides himself. “With two or three impressive fights you could be fighting for the title as you’ve beaten two-thirds of the roster for your division. It’s definitely exciting.”

All the same, Gaudinot said he prefers fighting smart rather than speculating on the future. When the cage door closes for his match against Lineker, he said he’ll go after what works rather than people’s predictions.

“The division is young,” Gaudinot said. “I’m looking to move myself up the ladder. I’m not going to go out there and force anything. If I hurt him I’m going to finish him then.”

MFC 33: Ryan McGillivray wages war for the vacant welterweight title

by Robert G. Reynolds on May 2, 2012 11:35:20 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

MFC Welterweight fighter, Ryan McGillivray (Photo courtesy of maximumfighting.com)

Starting his professional mixed martial arts career with Maximum Fighting Championships, Ryan McGillivray has waited long enough to claim what’s his – the vacant welterweight strap.

Making his home Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, McGillivray (Twitter: @KidMcGillivray, has the opportunity on Friday to hold gold in front of family and friends. After defeating Diego Bautista in January of this year, the Canadian has earned the rights to fight Nathan Coy at the upcoming MFC 33.

Knowing that he has a tough challenge ahead of him, McGillivray tries to get inside the head of his opponents in an attempt to understand the possible plays he could bring their game.

“Every fight that I’ve gone into, I try to be the best I can in every area,” McGillivray told MMADieHards.com. “Even when you face someone like Nathan, who is a very well-known wrestler, he may be thinking completely different, so you don’t want to think that this whole fight is going to be on the ground and focus all my efforts in jiu-jitsu. If the fight doesn’t end up on the ground and I neglected my stand up, I’m going to be in a rough position.”

Spending the majority of his training camp at home in Edmonton, where he has his own gym, Legends Training Centre, McGillivray prefers to stay close to family. During this training camp, McGillivray made the trek south to pull himself out of his comfort zone and step up the intensity of his training.

To challenge himself, the MFC veteran joins the stable of Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, N.M. Mixing himself with other fighters such as UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and UFC interim welterweight title holder Carlos Condit helps to weave together the skills that McGillivray needs for success.

“This training camp has been just shy of 12 weeks,” said McGillivray. “So I spent four weeks here (Jackson’s MMA), and seven weeks back home plus the week of the cut, which will be lighter training.”

“Just as with any of my fights, I’m trying to be as well-rounded as I can be and work on everything the best I can,” he continued. “Being in a place like Jackson’s, you have some of the best wrestlers, jiu-jitsu guys and strikers around, so you get to be tested in all areas and improve all around as well. So I come here, challenge myself and get that focus.”

Having already tasted a piece of the UFC, McGillivray was a member of the thirteenth installment of “The Ultimate Fighter” for the world’s premier fight league. The Canadian was the third overall pick and a member of Team dos Santos.

After taking out Brock Lesnar’s number one pick for his first bout, McGillivray lost his quarterfinal fight to the eventual season winner, Tony Ferguson. After losing a unanimous decision to Shamar Bailey on the season finale, McGillivray has an ultimate goal of making it back, but not any time soon.

“I don’t want to be one of those guys that goes out there and gets a title and then moves up a tiny little bit to a different promotion,” McGillivray stated. “I think that my ultimate goal is to get back and stay in the UFC for the rest of my career. As of right now, until then, I have no plans of going anywhere else. I’m extremely happy with the MFC and they’ve treated me really well. I love fighting for them, so I don’t see any reason that I would have to leave.”

Discovering his love for MMA at a young age, “The Kid,” found himself training with UFC fighters, Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald and Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki. Shortly after, it didn’t take long for MFC owner, Mark Pavelich, to take notice and invite McGillivray to display his talent on Canada’s largest MMA stage.

Starting his career with five straight victories, McGillivray went 7-3 during his first stint with the MFC before exploring other prospects. With this next bout being the second this year with the organization, McGillivray credits his relationship with Pavelich and the pace of his career for his return.

“Mark and I never really had any horrible disconnect that some fighters and promoters have,” McGillivray said. “It was just the time to step back and try some new things. The more I look at my career, I’m happy with the way that it is going. It’s not too fast and not too slow; I’m very happy with everything. It’s a really good time to come back to the MFC and I’m really glad to be back.”

Whether fast or slow, good things come to those who wait, and “The Kid” has waited long enough.

MFC 33: Nathan Coy fights for the fans, but sees things differently

by Robert G. Reynolds on May 1, 2012 11:24:38 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

MFC welterweight fighter, Nathan Coy (Photo courtesy of themmanews.com)

While training changes help a fighter grow, Nathan Coy believes that it’s who you’ve fought over where you’ve fought that really makes the difference.

Fighting professionally since 2007, Coy (Twitter: @NathanCoyMMA), has compiled a 10-4 record defeating names such as current UFC fighters Rick Story and Mike Pierce. Now looking for his shot at gold, Coy is set to face Canadian fighter Ryan McGillivray at MFC 33 for the welterweight strap on Friday.

Leading Coy to such an opportunity was a dominating performance over Dhiego Lima at MFC 32 to start off his 2012. While some fans may have not been overly impressed by his performance, connoisseurs of the sport saw greatness at work.

“A lot of people thought I just laid on him,” Coy told MMADieHards.com. “I don’t think that those people understand MMA. It was a dominating performance and that is what I needed to do.”

“I want to be exciting, get paid and have longevity, but you also have to be healthy,” he continued. “To leave practice or leave a fight and to be able to continue training without taking a month off to heal is big. True great fans see that, but the guys who want to drink a beer and watch a bloodbath, they don’t understand it.”

Some fans of MMA are more interested in seeing fighters stand-and-bang as opposed to applying all tools of their trade. Coy admittedly fell into the hype and always wanted to give those fans exactly what they wanted.

It wasn’t until a coach of the 33-year-old pitched an idea his way that the danger of such a mindset hit home.

“That was my mentality, to stand there and bang, and that is how I practiced for a long time,” Coy admitted. “An early coach of mine saw me standing in the pocket just throwing. He came over and suggested giving each of us baseball bats and going at it; and really, that’s all it is if you’re going to stand there and go toe-to-toe with somebody for the fans’ sake.”

With his new outlook, Coy now has his sights set on the MFC welterweight belt, and McGillivray is in his way.

McGillivray is a Canadian MFC veteran who started out his professional career with the organization. Bouncing between various leagues, McGillivray has returned to the MFC to pick up where he left off.

However, Coy and his coaches at American Top Team have other plans in mind for his northern counterpart.

“My training has been perfect,” said Coy. “I have great coaches that put a game plan together that I’ve been following in practice with great training partners.”

“I’ve done my homework on him and he is a guy that likes to get in the cage and enjoys fighting,” Coy said. “I’m sure that he trains hard to be there and those guys are ones you have to respect and be cautious of because you know that they are going in there to give it their all. So you have to take this serious, train hard and be ready for those kinds of guys and that’s what I’ve done. I expect him to go after it, fight hard, give it his all and that’s what I’m prepared for.”

McGillivray brings a wealth of fighting experience back to the ring upon his return. Posting a record of 5-2-1 since exiting MFC in 2008, the former UFC fighter is now looking to prove he has what it takes to become a champion.

While the Edmonton native has managed to top the total number of fights between the two combatants, Coy firmly believes that the quality of the opponents fought matter much more than the quantity piled together.

“Absolutely, it is a huge advantage because these guys aren’t only good fighters; they are tough, tough guys,” he admitted. “I went five rounds with Mike Pierce where he knocked me down the first round. You can’t duplicate those scraps because those types aren’t easy to get in to. I’m sure that Ryan has fought some tough guys; I don’t think that he’s fought anywhere close to that caliber and it is a big difference.”

“He’ll see getting in to this ring with me, that if you fight guys higher up on the ladder, they’re going to come at you,” Coy concluded. “You better match it and come hard because it’s going to be a war.”

In Their Own Words: The Week’s Noteworthy MMA Quotes

by Jason Kelly on April 30, 2012 11:45:54 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (Photo courtesy of 5th Round)

“When I started practicing martial arts, Chael Sonnen, doesn’t start practicing in martial arts, he is a wrestler. So he doesn’t know what martial arts is. It’s respect. Respect for a country, respect for the people and respect toward human beings. Many times, people ask me, ‘But isn’t he promoting the fight?’ Yeah, okay, but there are many different ways to do that. He did not respect our country, he disrespected my family and above all, he disrespected all the UFC audience and some people don’t realize that. They find it great what he is doing. In my opinion, I think the best fight of the century would be myself and my clone, that’s something I think will never happen. That doesn’t mean I am the best, that means I would like to be beaten by someone, many other things may happen, much like Sonnen here. He beat me for five rounds, but he didn’t do the most important thing which was to win. So, I am going to continue to do my job, I am going to practice really hard and I am going to try and bring this victory to Brazil.”
- Anderson Silva explained at the UFC 148 pre-fight press conference that Chael Sonnen lacks respect due to a lack of being a true martial artist.

“I don’t’ know man, this guy says the craziest things, he is surrounded by such yes men and it’s unbelievable that he actually thinks like that. He talks about his legacy, he is so close to the trees that he can’t see the forest. Come to America and ask people what they think of him. I mean this guy is the real deal, wow, he became the number one contender when he beat up the great Chris Leben, he then defended his belt against the great Patrick Cote and the amazing Thales Leites, what a star this guy is. What about the fact that I called him out for six years, ‘He disrespected my family.’ Yes, I did and what did you do about it? You didn’t do a damn thing and you’re not going to do anything on July 7th. Get your excuses ready now Anderson. I told everybody the first time I fought him that our skills are not even close, I will destroy him and I am going to tell you again now, our skills are not even close. So, go to your Ed Soares school of excuse making and get them handy because you are going to need them on July 7th.”
- Sonnen commented on his bout against Silva at the UFC 148 pre-fight press conference in typical ‘Gangster from Oregon’ fashion.

“I have nothing to say to him. I won’t give him that kinda audience. I don’t care about what he says, I’m not interested. If he wants to say those things looking me in the eye, come here. But that way, saying things when we’re distant, he’s an ass face. Only p—–s say things at your back”.
- Wanderlei Silva talked to Tatame about Sonnen.

“I wasn’t very optimistic about his chances. I didn’t think things were gonna turn out very well for him, as expected. Nine months? That’s not as bad as I thought it was gonna be. I thought he’d get a year, easily a year. Here’s the rules: If he was on anti-inflammatory meds and whatever the deal was, you’re supposed to disclose that to the commission before you get any drug tests. Whatever medicine you’re on, you’re supposed to tell them before you test, not after you test. I’m not a fan. I’m not a fan at all. You’re not going to hear me defending Alistair Overeem on your radio show. We’ll see what happens. He claimed he was on anti-inflammatories which he should have told them before he tested. I know he lied to me. I don’t like it. If they’ll sit in front of you and lie to your face, I don’t know, not the type of guys I wanna do business with.”
- Dana White was a guest of The Jim Rome Show and he explained his anger with Alistair Overeem for failing a drug test.

“There is such fine line with all of the anti-aging stuff that’s out there now. TRT is generally something a guy does in their 40’s and 50’s when their natural production of testosterone drops off. There are other natural ways to boost your own body’s production without replacing it and it’s safer as well, but it still should be under the care of a physician. It’s a very fine and a very personal thing and there is no easy answer. An athlete is using his body to earn a living and entertain the fans, they want to get the most out of themselves, but sometimes they go too far with it.”
- Star of The Expendables 2 and UFC hall of fame member Randy Couture gave his opinion on TRT in MMA to MMA Frenzy.

“I want to see the best fighters; I want to see who is the strongest the best! Guys should be able to do whatever it takes to be the strongest. Getting choked and kicked in the head is really bad for you, worse than pot, TRT, or steroids. I don’t care who’s the cleanest, I wanna’ see the strongest, the fastest and the most gnarly fighters. I don’t want to see who is the best at passing drug test. Overeem isn’t the only guy taking sh*t, he just got caught. I wanna’ see the baddest mother f*ckers going at it. That’s why PRIDE was the best — I wanna see a 205 (ripped) Wanderlei Silva kill dudes.”
- Phil Baroni takes a different stance than Couture when it comes to TRT, as he explained to Fight Sport Asia.

“I really don’t hate Fedor. His management made the biggest f*ck-up in the history of all sports. We flew down there and tried to make Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor and it was for big, big money. They f*ckin’ laughed at it and I told them, and he’ll lie if you ask him this, I told him and he knows I f*ckin’ told him — not Fedor, Vadummy — I told Vadummy, ‘You’re one punch away from being worth zero.’ He didn’t take it. They thought they were too cool and too slick and too f*ckin’ funny. Like I said, they’re not laughing now.”
- White told MMA Interviews he’s laughing at Fedor Emelianenko’s management staff now.

“We’re getting ready to leave Bahrain, and I get detained at the airport. Jardine and Franklin get on the flight, and they take me in the room. They’re asking me all these questions, and they’re furious. One guy’s comin’ in the room and pointin’ at me, all furious, like that. And, what I think is that, I had on the ‘Young Assassin’ shirt, with Melvin Guillard, and there’s a guy with a turban with his brains spillin’ out. I don’t think they liked that too much.”
- Stephan Bonnar detailed his eventful visit to Bahrain, while the TUF 1 finalist was a guest on Inside MMA.

“It’s been said that I might be getting a title shot, but I honestly don’t care at this point. I’m fed up talking about it. I just wanna get in and fight on the 5th. After that, we can talk about it. I try not to (look past Diaz). Nate is a tough fight, and that’s where my focus lies. The title picture got so bottle-necked, with the rematches, and everybody lost. In my opinion, if you have under five UFC fights, let alone wins, you shouldn’t be considered for a title shot yet.”
- Jim Miller told MMA Uncensored his frustrations with the rematches tying up the UFC lightweight belt.

“It was a bittersweet night. I’m glad Jon won, but I’m just sad about the whole situation. It’s nice to just kind of move on and be done with the whole thing. …. I went up after the fight and shook [Rashad Evans'] hand, and we kind of patted each other on the shoulder. That’s kind of where we’re at right now. There’s no animosity or hard feelings on my end at all. We’ll see where it goes from here.”
- Greg Jackson described his current relationship with Rashad Evans on the Savage Dog Show.

“I want to be UFC middleweight champion, and I want to fight Anderson Silva to do it. I have such respect for him as a fighter. It would be an honor and a dream come true to test my skills against his.”
- Recent UFC signee Hector Lombard told mmajunkie he wants the UFC 185-pound title, but he wants to get it by defeating longtime champion, Silva.

“I had to pay them back my signing bonus, but at this point in my career, I would rather do that than sit on the shelf.”
- Jay Hieron explained to NBCSports that he had to pay Bellator to get out of his contract.

“Eddie has been an amazing and important, productive part of Bellator since day one,” Rebney said. “He was one of the first guys I ever signed and one of the first guys I ever went out on a limb for and paid a signing bonus for. He has been worth every penny we’ve paid him. He’s been a class act and a great ambassador for not only Bellator, but the sport of MMA.”
- Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney told MMA DieHards his pleasure of having Eddie Alvarez in his promotion.

“They are so far away, but the thing is, I don’t care about them. I really don’t. I see so many holes in their game, I see a ton. I think it’s confusing, what they do. I’m an expert in martial arts, I could tell them what they could fix, but they’re too arrogant and they don’t know (enough) about my sport that they could understand and fix it. I don’t need to talk about them, but I just know what they do is confusing for fans.”
- MFC owner Mark Pavelich told MMA DieHards what he thinks about Bellator.

Invicta FC 1 recap: Young, Smith battled, Penne dominated, Coenen defeated Ruyssen in their rematch

by Jason Kelly on April 29, 2012 1:30:43 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Kaitlin Young (L) in mid-battle (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

Invicta Fighting Championship presented their inaugural event in Saturday, which took place at Municipal Hall in Kansas City, Kan.

The event was the first ever all-female MMA card, with the purpose being to give women a platform to compete often, at their desired weight-class.

Kaitlin Young and Leslie Smith put on a fight so good that my 64-year-old father sent me a text message midway through the third round to tell me how awesome it was – no joke.

Young and Smith traded strikes for 15 minutes with great technique. It was a back-and-forth battle that had both combatants bleeding. Neither athlete was timid on the ground, as both contestants fought to win when the bout hit the canvas. As they closed the final round, both trying to finish, they exchanged kicks and punches until the horn sounded.

It was the most spectacular fight of the night, without question, but don’t be surprised to see an immediate rematch due to the bout ending in a draw.

Marloes Coenen and Romy Ruyssen had the most competitive match of the night, with both fighters showing equal skills for the most part. Coenen had the slight edge throughout the fight, not to mention Ruyssen lost a point in Round 1 for grabbing the fence, which assisted in in the Golden Glory teammate’s decision victory.

Coenen controlled Ruyssen against the fence for most of the duration of the bout, which may not have been the most action-packed fight of the evening, but it got her another victory in their rematch.

Jessica Penne nullified Lisa Ellis’ takedowns with strikes, and when the bout hit the floor she turned up the intensity. Penne pounced on her downed opponent and brutalized Ellis with powerful punches until the bout was brought to a halt. Ellis was leaking blood from her nose like a running faucet prior to the referee deeming her as unable to continue.

Liz Carmouche dominated Ashleigh Curry in a one-sided beating. Carmouche pinned Curry on the mat and unleashed a ground and pound that possibly should have had the bout been stopped sooner than it was. Cageside commentator Mauro Ranallo and Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal pleaded for the referee to call the fight, but Carmouche kept slamming leather on her opponent’s face until the she was forced to stop.

Amy Davis fought off an early onslaught from Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc. They struggled with one another for a moment, but Davis out-grappled “The Night Queen” and landed in a position that placed her seated on Rivera-Calanoc’s head. Davis was attempting what looked like a mounted triangle-choke, but Rivera-Calanoc left her arm dangling and succumbed to a kimura.

Sarah Maloy came out of her corner and threw what cageside commentator Ranallo described as a ‘superwoman punch.’ She was the aggressor early on, but Michelle Gutierrez stuck to her methodical game plan and waited for her opportunity to capitalize. The chance never presented itself and Gutierrez lost a unanimous decision in a bout that was technical, but lackluster in excitement.

Sarah D’Alelio dominated the ground game and owned Vanessa Mariscal’s back for the majority of Round 1. After a slow start to the second frame, D’Alelio took the back of Mariscal again. D’Alelio searched for a rear naked-choke, but resorted to punching her opponent into submission.

During a terrific evening of WMMA, cageside commentator Julie “Fireball” Kedzie summed the event up quite well.

“You people watching from home, women can fight,” she said.

Mark Pavelich’s MFC declares war on Bellator

by Jason Kelly on April 28, 2012 1:13:59 PM in Features, Fighter Features | 2 Comments »

MFC owner Mark Pavelich (@MarkPavelich) accepts that the UFC is the world’s premier MMA organization, but his hustle will not allow his promotion to be second to Bellator.

The MFC (Twitter: @MaximumFighting) is a Canadian mixed martial arts company that has been entertaining MMA fans with events for over a decade. They have yet to cross the border and put on a show in the U.S., but with the success of their American broadcasting deal with HDNet, they intend to do so in the near future. The MFC offers quality bouts and have a number of combatants that went on to the UFC, making them a respected organization in the MMA community.

Though, the MFC is not the pay-per-view powerhouse the UFC is, Pavelich doesn’t think everybody is clear on where his show ranks amongst other promotions.

“I’m one of the biggest promotions in the world,” Pavelich told Michael Steczkowski on D’arce Side Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “I’m the undisputed champ right now in Canada; I have been for 14 years. That’s a foregone conclusion. I’m on the same field as UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator; that’s the game. Those are the four horsemen right there. UFC being No. 1, Strikeforce on their way out, and then it will be a fight between me and Bellator eventually, which I am looking forward to.”

In July 2011 Bellator put on their inaugural event in Canada with Bellator 47 at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario. They returned to the same venue in November with Bellator 57, which was headlined by Ben Saunders and former MFC welterweight champion Douglas Lima.

Pavelich is not concerned with Bellator entering Canada, as most of MFC’s events take place three provinces away in Alberta. Nor is he upset with Lima, who’s brother Dhiego is an MFC welterweight competitor, for vacating his belt and signing with Bellator. When it comes down to it, Pavelich doesn’t care about Bellator at all.

“Bellator is not coming in my backyard,” Pavelich stated. “Canada is the second largest land mass country in the world. They’re so far away from me I can’t even give you an analogy in the United States because (Canada) is so much bigger.

Pavelich supposes his opinion should be valued due to his vast knowledge and experiences in MMA.

The Canadian trained Jason MacDonald and Victor Valimaki during their UFC stints, while also building the MFC brand in the promotion’s infancy. He’s dealt with mixed martial artists from all over the globe, made brilliant broadcasting deals with HDNet and TSN2, and persevered through obstacles to grow the MFC into the successful company it is today.

When it comes to knowing MMA, Pavelich considers himself a regular Ken Jennings.

“I’m a connoisseur of mixed martial arts,” Pavelich said. “I can tell you good fights, bad fights, why it’s going to be a good fight, and that’s what people need to understand. I’m not just a guy that owns a mixed martial arts organization, I’m a guy who’s been in this sport since its inception and I’ve done everything from the bottom to the top. I’m an expert, so if anyone wants to play mixed martial arts Jeopardy with me, I dare you.”

Pavelich sits atop of the company with his wife Manon, but that doesn’t mean he is afraid to do the hard labor that goes into promoting an MFC event.

Pavelich said he was out with the street team five days before a sold out MFC 29 in Windsor, Ontario. He has admitted in the past that he is involved with every aspect of the show, from placing MFC labels on the spit buckets to hanging posters in the street.

On Pavelich’s Twitter account there is often a term that reads #PavelichGrind. It symbolizes his everyday hustle to improve the MFC, and that is something he believes cannot be matched.

“No one can outhustle me in this industry, that’s one thing people need to be very clear on,” Pavelich said. “UFC is the best show in the world, I agree, but nobody can outhustle me in this business.”

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