by Jon Luther | Feb 2, 2011 | BLOGS
Fedor Emelianenko, considered by many to be the greatest heavyweight — and perhaps mixed martial artist — of all time, is a man of few words. Rather than fruitlessly guessing at the unknowable, he will admit he doesn’t know. Instead of pondering the future, he will focus on the present. Emelianenko will bring that same practical mindset into battle on February 12 when he takes on top 10 ranked Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva in the opening round of the highly anticipated Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament. Speaking with MMAFA.tv, Emelianenko reflects on his training and opponent. “I can’t wait to compete again. Silva is a great athlete who is skilled in many areas. He has proven to be a very worthy and dangerous opponent. My training camp has been very strong. I feel proud to be representing my country in the tournament. I’m training to win the tournament.” Eight of the top heavyweights in the world will participate in the tournament, leading many to believe that the eventual tournament champion should be in the running for the title of best heavyweight alive. To Emelianenko, his opinion on the matter is irrelevant. “The tournament participants are all highly skilled athletes. As for whether the winner should be considered number one in the world, it is not for me to say. That is something left to the media and to the fans.” In Fedor’s last outing he suffered the first blemish on his record in a decade when he lost via submission to Fabricio Werdum, one of the best heavyweight grapplers in the world. Werdum will fight Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem...
by Jon Luther | Jan 31, 2011 | BLOGS
If one was to refer to Gegard Mousasi as ‘jack of all trades,’ they wouldn’t be far off. Mousasi has an accomplished and ever-evolving career in mixed martial arts and recently nabbed a victory over a top-ranked kickboxer in Kyotaro at a K-1 rules fight in Japan. And it appears that Mousasi is looking to compete at the highest level of yet another martial arts discipline. Sources close to the fighter have informed MMAFA.tv that Mousasi has started the qualification process to compete in boxing at the Olympics in 2012 in London. Mousasi is training in Holland and plans to represent the country at the events, should he qualify. Apy Echteld, Mousasi’s manager, says that his success in the sport of boxing could only help his career in mixed martial arts. “[Gegard] is getting better each and every time, so let’s see what this brings. All of us are very excited about the idea. He’s done well with every other thing he has taken up so far. If he does well with this, it could have a huge impact on his mixed martial arts career. This is a wish of his.” Mousasi’s quest for national glory should not be a cause for concern among mixed martial arts fans; the former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion is targeted for a fight against American Kickboxing Academy product Mike Kyle in April, 2011. A venue for the event has not been set and there is recent speculation that it could take place in Japan as an installment of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament. Mike Kyle is currently rehabilitating a broken hand sustained in a bout...
by Jon Luther | Jan 25, 2011 | BLOGS
On a night few are soon to forget, Fabricio Werdum did the impossible: in only 69 seconds he submitted Fedor Emelianenko, who was the consensus top-ranked heavyweight in the world of mixed martial arts for nearly a decade. The sport was turned upside down and its schema was forever altered. Oddly enough, many rankings listed Werdum as the second-ranked heavyweight in the world behind Brock Lesnar, who later went on to lose and abdicate his ranking to Cain Velasquez. Yet Raphael Cordeiro, Werdum’s trainer and close friend, says that none of this ever led Werdum to question his sense of being the best in the heavyweight division: “When Werdum beat Fedor he knew he was the number one guy. Of course there is Cain Velasquez, who is very good, but being in different promotions that is what it is. Now, when we beat Overeem, everyone will say Werdum is number one.” Although many fans questioned the legitimacy of the rankings at the time, Cordeiro claims it barely crossed Werdum’s mind. “It never bothered Fabricio when some people said he wasn’t the top guy after beating Fedor. Mixed martial arts fans all over the world know who he is. They know what he has accomplished and contributed to the sport. That is the most important thing to him. He is a humble guy.” The stakes are unquestionably high for Werdum going into his next fight. He faces off against Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ Alistair Overeem, who many believe to be the most talented heavyweight in the division following his victory at the K-1 World Grand Prix, in the first round of...
by Jon Luther | Jan 22, 2011 | BLOGS
Ryan Ford, a top welterweight in Canada, is in discussions to sign with Aggression MMA. The announcement was made today following a press release from Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC), where Ford was accused of painting MFC owner Mark Pavelich as a racist. MMAFA.tv spoke with Pavelich just two days before the statement was released and Pavelich denied that there was any dispute going on at the time. MMAFA.tv learned today from sources close to the fighter that Ford is pursuing legal action against the MFC for allegedly refusing to pay him a percentage of ticket sales he did for the promotion. Ford claims he sold more than $21,000 in tickets for MFC 27 and is owed $2,695 per a percentage clause contained in his contract. Speaking to Mark Pavelich, one would believe that Ford is out to lunch and not capable of making rational decisions regarding his career. Responding to such remarks, Ford claims that if anyone is to be deemed crazy in the matter it is Pavelich. “He says I’m the one who is crazy? Well that is because I’m not living in his little world. I’m living in the real world. He’s just being Mark Pavelich: the weirdo, bipolar, schizophrenic… you name it. The reason I signed on my manager and my agent in the first place was because Pavelich was taking advantage of me. He was trying to be my friend and be my promoter at the same time. At the beginning of my career he was my manager and up until my eighth fight he had only gotten me one sponsorship deal. He took all...
by Jon Luther | Jan 21, 2011 | BLOGS
MMAFA.tv has learned from sources close to the situation that a legal dispute between fighter Ryan Ford and Mark Pavelich, owner of Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC), has gone on for some weeks. This is in stark contrast to a press release statement from the promotion claiming that “The Maximum Fighting Championship and its legal representation have received no letters, emails, phone calls or communication of any kind in any attempt to resolve this matter.” Ford’s representatives have made more than ten attempts to resolve the dispute with Pavelich and his representatives, dating back to October 30, 2010, including more than 4 formal letters and a draft of a settlement agreement. Pavelich released a press release today just prior to arbitration claiming that Ford has accused the promotion of racism and is likely sidelined with the MFC until his contract expires. Ford’s camp claims that the relationship between Ford and Pavelich is contentious and has disintegrated for reasons beyond business. The dispute between Ford and Pavelich originated from Ford’s claim that he was not paid sums due and owing under a promotional agreement with the MFC. According to the agreement, Ford was eligible to sell tickets for MFC events and in turn receive a percentage of the tickets sold. Ford alleges he sold tickets totaling $21,560 for MFC 27 which took place in late November, 2010. Ford claims the promotion has refused to pay him his due amount of $2,695, a percentage of his ticket sales guaranteed to him in his contract. Additionally, Pavelich now claims that Ford owes the promotion money. Speaking with MMAFA.tv, Pavelich claimed that he is...
