Like the epilogue which present itself at the end of a great historical literature or drama which bring closure to the act and work.    “El Nino” as the Destined Author was confident that he was the one who authored its final victory shutting the door once and for all to any future sequel of their long rivaled trilogy metaphorically titled the “Dawning of the Age of Melendez”.  The final clash in confirmation proved to be the most dangerous and most competitive of their many brilliant encounters.  In the end the reigning Strikeforce lightweight champion Melendez defended his crown through an agreed split decision in the co-main event of the Strikeforce “Barnett vs. Cormier” at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.; Thomson was once again defeated by the “El Nino” storm   and its decision was broadcast to millions of viewers on the horizon of Showtime.

After exiting the   Cage,    the Champion was supported on his side by his fiancée and fighter Keri Taylor.  The decision was ignorantly booed by a few fans in attendance at the HP Pavilion, one in particular who chose to line up the exiting aisle with malicious and criminal intent…
Closing in great epics often serves to reveal the fate of ts characters on this great Athletic stage, and it was this unraveled narrative   which introduced a new star character   named Keri Anne Taylor, the fiancé, Mother of his child and fighter.

A man in question elected to impose his insulting views on Gilbert Melendez the fighter.  But like a Tammy Wynette country song which drops its tune in synchronicity,   Keri stepped in to save the day by Standing by her Man, prohibiting any questionable or contested remarks watched by testimonial millions. Keri represents the new breed of female champions who will stand by her man through will and in determination whether in defeat or in loss….

Stand by your man and show the world you love him
keep givïn’ all the love you can
stand by your ma-a-n…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMXnu31-k_U&feature=related

Thus spoke the Phantom Street Artist…

Strikeforce Dawns the Age of Melendez… is a post from: CAGERADIO

Ticket Sales: PENDING

James Terry $ 9, 000

Bobby Green $6,000 WB $6,000

Quinn Mulhern $6, 000 WB $6,000

Yuri Villefort $ 2,500

Gian Villante $ 12, 000 WB $12,000

Derrick Mehman $ 3,000

Virgil Zwicker $ 3,000

Carlos Inocente $ 2,000 WB $2,000

JZ Cavalcante $ 18,000

Isaac Vallie – Flagg $ 3,000 WB $3,000

Nah-Shon Burrell $ 7,000

Lenny Christopher Spang $ 6,000 WB $ 6,000

Mike Kyle $25,000

Rafael Cavalcante Custodio $33,000 WB $33,000

Josh Thomson $ 90,000

Gilbert Melendez $ 175,000

Josh Barnett $ 200,000

Daniel Cormier $ 50, 000 WB $50,000

****Numbers do not include any deductions.***

STRIKEFORCE May 19, 2012 HP Pavilion, San Jose is a post from: CAGERADIO

Strikeforce’s Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez vs. Josh “The Punk” Thomson great theatrical trilogy was staged in San Jose on May 19th 2012. Like the  great timeless classic,  “ Thus spoke  Zarathustra”  a philosophical novel by  the  great German Metaphysical philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, composed  between 1883 and 1885  addresses the Übermensch or the role of the Superman who is thrown into a  world  only he must resolve.

In the epic novel, the protagonist Zarathustra is very much like Melendez the Championship fighter who is the modern hero acts through rightful deeds has a great love for his fellow man, humanity, friends, fans and community.   But like Oedipus who is told by the visionary seer that Melendez can not alter his path of fate, as he will soon face a life challenge destined to return him to the cage in seeking final resolution by the Trilogy.

Because of destiny, he desires not to leave the solipsistic life of his home life of 3 in order to embrace the ideal of what man could be, in fear of this sign.  The narrative of the novel set the stage and the plot of the fight and its future challenge in which our lead Melendez will encounter a great war being more real then reality, more ideal then ideality, more practical then practicality.

It was Scott Coker who confirmed this mixed martial art war as the promoter of Strikeforce was cast on this great media stage as the role of universal narrator who as the soothsayer seer, speaketh of the Strikeforce lightweight match which would ultimately go down in history as one of the greatest epic battles of all time much like the classic boxing matches of Hearns vs. Sugar Ray fights.

And so it was, as this classic matchup unraveled great emotional arches with acts of passionate denouement.  Personified Time and its metaphor titled this great trilogy as the “Dawning of the Age of Melendez”. After counsel, Melendez ultimately knew that this third match would be the ultimate test for its hermetic symbolic meaning. The Book of Symbols:  shares reflections and significance of Archetypal Images in our lives. The triangle is one of the five oldest symbols in the world, the other four being the cross, the star, the square and the spiral. Because of the three sides, it is linked to all trinities, the most common being father, mother, child, God, as well as the religious iconography of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and Mother, Maiden, and Crone.

Teachers and Historians throughout the age illustrate the metaphysical meaning of triangles. Triangles are symbolic akin to the number three. It is a primary number which stands alone. The sign read that Melendez in this particular challenge would stand alone.

The seer shared the negative confliction aspects to the number three, like husband, wife and mistress. The Three of Swords in Tarot is a card of conflict and trials. Trilogies in three parts represent the archetype of personal challenge, conflict and turmoil.

Through the study reading of Signs and Symbols, Thomson as Melendez opponent for the third time would be a threat, treacherous, knowing each time he returned to the Cage he faced a cunning and intelligent fighter who was   a formable challenger who could dictate inevitable loss.

The first lesson of War by the ancient Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu teaches that you can only realize victory by eliminating your opponent through submission opting him to choose life or face death at your hands, yet inviting him back to the cage for a third time was Madness unfurled.   Students who practice the martial arts   know that if your opponent is asked to return the opponent will be at an advantage in finding a path to defeat you.

Like the epilogue which present itself at the end of a great historical literature or drama which bring closure to the act and work. “El Nino” as the Destined Writer was confident in responding to the seer that he could author its final victory shutting the door once and for all to any future sequel of their long rivaled trilogy. The final clash in confirmation proved it so, as this battle was one of the most dangerous and most competitive of their many brilliant encounters.   A grueling five minute five rounds of merciless war ensued.  In review to the significance of the number three, each third minute in each round saw Thomson turn the fight in his favor.  After the third round, the Hero Melendez was threatened by the Submission of Thomson and threatened his title for over thirty three seconds!

In the end the reigning Strikeforce lightweight champion Melendez defended his crown through a brutal bloodbath.  The judges awarded an agreed split decision in favor of the Champion.

The audience became crazed at the final decision of the co-main event of the Strikeforce “Barnett vs. Cormier” at HP Pavilion. Yes, Thomson was once again defeated by the “El Nino” storm where its decision was broadcasted to millions of viewers on Showtime’s vanishing horizon line.

After exiting the Cage, the conflict continued its controversy as the decision was ignorantly booed causing mayhem by fans in attendance at the HP Pavilion. One in particular who chose to line up the exiting aisle with malicious and criminal intent?
The success to a scene involves three actors as an ensemble as the   Closing   of great epics often serves to reveal the fate of its characters on this great stage, as this unraveled narrative    introduced a new star character   named Keri Anne Taylor, the Fighter fiancé and Mother of his child.  As the Champion exited he was faithfully supported on his side by his fiancée and fighter Keri Taylor.

The man in question who elected to impose his insulting views on Gilbert Melendez the fighter,  But like a Tammy Wynette country song which drops its tune in synchronicity on time,   Keri the guardian of greatness stepped in to save the day by Standing by her Man, prohibiting any questionable or contested remarks watched by millions of testimonial viewers   Keri’s action as a sign imparted the allegorical message which revealed the new breed of female champions who will stand by her man through thick and thin, with will and in determination, whether in defeat or in loss…. Her action of simplicity only espoused great loyalty in a time of betrayal…

Remembering always to…

Stand by your man and show the world you love him
keep givïn’ all the love you can
stand by your ma-a-n…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMXnu31-k_U&feature=related

Thus spoke the Phantom Street Artist…

THE STREET PHANTOM: Strikeforce Trilogy El Nino Melendez defeats The Punk Thomson is a post from: CAGERADIO

As a former UFC heavyweight champion and PRIDE® Grand Prix finalist, Barnett has seen it all during his 15-year, 31-5, career as a mixed martial artist. He has defeated the likes of Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mark Hunt and has looked almost unstoppable in the STRIKEFORCE GP thus far, tapping out Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov to reach tomorrow’s final.

However, the main and co-main eventers of next weekend’s UFC 146 event all tip 9-0 Daniel Cormier to make a mockery of the odds and win the Grand Prix after he stormed the field as an alternate, defeating Jeff Monson and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

Junior dos Santos, reigning UFC heavyweight champion, said: “They are both great fighters and this is a fight that could end very quickly for each guy. But Cormier is more explosive and has the better chances to end this early. It could be very exciting, but I think Cormier wins.”

Frank Mir, two-time UFC heavyweight champion, said: “I think Cormier takes this. I can’t see Barnett getting him to the ground, his wrestling is too strong. And on the feet I think Cormier has the power to end things. But with two top heavyweights, anything can happen. That’s why this division is so exciting – anyone who is world class can beat anyone else with one punch. You can’t say that about the lighter weight classes and that’s why heavyweight fights are so cool to watch.”

Cain Velasquez, former UFC heavyweight champion said: “I pick Daniel Cormier. Number one, because I train with him but also because he’s so hungry in this sport, I don’t think he will be denied. He was really raw when he came into our gym the first time a couple of years ago but he picked up everything a lot faster than most. He has dangerous strikes and I can’t see Josh getting him to the ground. Daniel’s wrestling is too good; I think he takes this fight and makes a statement about his future in the division.”

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, who reached the Grand Prix semi-final stage before losing to Cormier, also picked his old rival for the win, saying: “I think Cormier will win this fight and be the Grand Prix Champion. I was very surprised by him in our fight. I think he is too strong, too powerful in this fight. He punches very hard and his wrestling is very good. I think he will win inside the distance unless Josh Barnett gets this to the ground quickly.”

STRIKEFORCE® HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX FINAL will air live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), while four preliminary fights will be shown live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast). In addition to the previously mentioned matchup, the four-fight main card will also feature an exciting trilogy fight between champ Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson for the STRIKEFORCE lightweight title, a light heavyweight grudge match between Rafael “Feijão” Cavalcante and Mike Kyle, as well as a welterweight battle between Nah-Shon Burrell and Chris Spang.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.strikeforce.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

About STRIKEFORCE® – www.strikeforce.com

Owned and operated by Forza, LLC, a subsidiary of Zuffa, LLC, which also owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand, STRIKEFORCE® is a world-class mixed martial arts promotion based in Las Vegas, Nev. that currently holds live events annually across the United States. First established as a mixed martial arts entity in 2006, STRIKEFORCE now broadcasts its events live on Showtime® Networks, Inc. and has produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network. With a growing roster featuring the world’s elite competitors, STRIKEFORCE has cemented its place as a leader in providing quality mixed martial arts action.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

UFC® 146 HEAVYWEIGHTS PREDICT STRIKEFORCE® HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX FINAL WINNER is a post from: CAGERADIO

Thursday, May 10, 2012 – 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT

Las Vegas, Nevada – STRIKEFORCE® will host a media conference call with the stars of the upcoming STRIKEFORCE® HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX FINAL on Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT.

STRIKEFORCE heavyweights Josh “The Warmaster” Barnett and Daniel “DC” Cormier will be available to discuss their upcoming Heavyweight Grand Prix Final matchup in San Jose, Calif. at HP Pavilion on Saturday, May 19. Additionally, current lightweight kingpin Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez, as well as his opponent and number one contender Josh “The Punk” Thomson, will join the call in advance of their lightweight title fight.

STRIKEFORCE® HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX FINAL will air live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), while four preliminary fights will be shown live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast). In addition to the previously mentioned matchups, the four-fight main card will also feature a light heavyweight grudge match between Rafael “Feijão” Cavalcante and Mike Kyle, as well as a welterweight battle between Nah-Shon Burrell and Chris Spang.

WHO: JOSH BARNETT, STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight Grand Prix finalist

DANIEL CORMIER, STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight Grand Prix finalist

GILBERT MELENDEZ, STRIKEFORCE lightweight champion

JOSH THOMSON, lightweight number one contender

SCOTT COKER, STRIKEFORCE CEO

WHAT: STRIKEFORCE® HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX FINAL Media Conference Call

WHEN: Thursday, May 10, 2012 – 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT

DIAL IN: US/CAN Toll free: 877-723-9523

Int’l Toll: 719-325-4805

Confirmation Code: 8692547

For more information or current fight news, visit www.strikeforce.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

About STRIKEFORCE® – www.strikeforce.com

Owned and operated by Forza, LLC, a subsidiary of Zuffa, LLC, which also owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand, STRIKEFORCE® is a world-class mixed martial arts promotion based in Las Vegas, Nev. that currently holds live events annually across the United States. First established as a mixed martial arts entity in 2006, STRIKEFORCE now broadcasts its events live on Showtime® Networks, Inc. and has produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network. With a growing roster featuring the world’s elite competitors, STRIKEFORCE has cemented its place as a leader in providing quality mixed martial arts action.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

STRIKEFORCE® HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX FINAL MEDIA CALL WITH TOURNAMENT FINALISTS JOSH BARNETT AND DANIEL CORMIER is a post from: CAGERADIO

Evangelista is out

James Terry had been expecting to throw down with fellow Strikeforce fighter Billy Evangelista at the Heavyweight Grand Prix Finals on May 19 in San Jose, Calif., but those plans have changed.

Terry, in an interview for his fight, told MMAWeekly.com that Evangelista is out and that Bobby Green is taking his place in the bout. There was no reason given for Evangelista’s withdrawal.

Terry (11-4) has bounced back and forth between welterweight and lightweight over his last couple of fights, losing two of his last three fights. He is coming off of a split decision loss to Nah-Shon Burrell at Strikeforce’s January card in Las Vegas.

Green (17-5), a former King of the Cage junior welterweight and lightweight champion, will be no easy road to hoe if Terry is to get back on track.

Green lost a split decision to Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante in his Strikeforce debut last year, but rebounded with back-to-back victories as part of the Strikeforce Challengers series before its demise.

Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier will square off in the night’s main event in the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament, while Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez hopes to finish his trilogy with Josh Thomson on a high note.

Strikeforce: Bobby Green Stepping in Against James Terry is a post from: CAGERADIO

Ring of Combat returns April 27 with “ROC XL”. This event has another stacked lineup, something Ring of Combat has become synonymous with and emanates from the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey or on iPPV through the GFL Combat Sports Network to watch this exciting card. ROC continues to be the linchpin of East Coast MMA and this 15-bout card reiterates its dominance as the top dog of MMA in the Tri-State area.

In a featured bout, Uriah Hall (6-2) faces Dominique “Non-Stop Action Packed” Steele (7-2) in a light heavyweight scrap. Former ROC Champion, Hall, is a ROC fan favorite as the New Yorker always brings it. His last bout he won via the seldom used heel hook submission and is in the midst of a 2-fight win streak. All of Hall’s wins have come via stoppage either KO or submission so he will look to do the same against Steele in their hotly anticipated battle. Steele is a veteran of Strikeforce and looks to get back in the win column after losing a tough decision in his last outing. Steele has only had 1 of his 9 bouts go to a decision so his fight with Hall is shaping up to be a barnburner as neither man likes to go for the decision. Don’t blink as Hall and Steele have the power and technique to end the fight early.

Also on the card, former UFC fighter Marvin “The Beastman” Eastman (17-14-1) fights Dmitry Zabolotny (5-2) in a light heavyweight showdown. Eastman is traveling from Las Vegas and for the veteran fighter, this is an opportunity to get back in the win column against a tough up and coming East Coast prospect. Eastman has fought everyone from Quinton Jackson to Vitor Belfort in his impressive career and this will be one more top fighter on his list. Eastman is hungry to prove he still belongs in the upper echelon of fighters in the 205 lb division. Zabolotny is one of the new breed of Russian fighters, though he currently trains and lives in New York. Zabolotny has a varied arsenal of attacks including a great submission game. Winning all of his last 5 fights, Zabolotny looks to add a UFC veteran’s name to that list on April 27. It will be Eastman’s striking versus Zabolotny’s ground skills.

You won’t find a more thrilling card then this one. Be sure to catch all of the action LIVE on April 27 as Ring of Combat presents “ROC XL” exclusively on pay-per-view at CAGERADIO.com.

Ring of Combat XL is a post from: CAGERADIO

BUY ANY EVENT HERE

5 MMA / 2 BOXING / 2 WRESTLING / 1 MUSIC CONCERT/RAGGAE

- Friday, April 27, 2012 7:00pm ET featuring NAAFS – Caged Fury 17 at Mylan Park Expo Center, Morgantown, West Virginia. Travis Clark is currently 12-0 and trains at Evolve where the facility is remarkable and the coaches are world class. He also trains with and prepares other MMA juggernauts like UFC fighters Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Cheick Kongo. He has won titles while defeating some pretty tough dudes (including current NAAFS Light Heavyweight Champ and Bellator veteran, Dan Spohn). He now has the perfect opportunity to snag a super-sized victory that will likely result in some big doors being opened. I’d also add that Travis is rather hungry for this win. He has certainly encountered his fair share of adversity over the last year and I can imagine he’ll take all that emotion and frustration and make his next opponent the prime target. Travis will defend his NAAFS middleweight championship against Bellator veteran Hector Urbina. The 24 year-old Hector Urbina brings his 23 fight resume to West Virginia in hopes to defeat Clark. His resume includes an overall 16-6-1 fight record which consists of opponents like UFC fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Bellator’s Lyman Good, Strikeforce’s Tim Kennedy and former NAAFS champion Brendan Sequin. He seems to have difficulty putting a string of wins together though. The last time he was able to put more than 2 wins in a row together was back in 2008. He needs a win just as bad as Travis does. You can expect this fight to end before regulation time expires. In fact, I’d bet it’ll be over before the second round. Both fighters have impressive statistics that show they like to end fights and in powerful fashion. Clark has stopped 11 of his 12 opponents in a variety of methods including 3 by TKO/RSC, 5 by submission and 3 via the crowd pleasing Knock Out. Similarly, Urbina finished opponents 13 times in his 16 wins. These have come via 7 TKO/RSC, 2 Knock Outs and 4 submissions. Needless to say, there’s going to be two big bulls with big horns who both want the same thing.

BUY ANY EVENT HERE

- Friday, April 27, 2012 8:30pm ET featuring Ring of Combat – ROC XL from the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In a featured bout, Uriah Hall (6-2) faces Dominique “Non-Stop Action Packed” Steele (7-2) in a light heavyweight scrap. Former ROC Champion, Hall, is a ROC fan favorite as the New Yorker always brings it. His last bout he won via the seldom used heel hook submission and is in the midst of a 2-fight win streak. All of Hall’s wins have come via stoppage either KO or submission so he will look to do the same against Steele in their hotly anticipated battle. Steele is a veteran of Strikeforce and looks to get back in the win column after losing a tough decision in his last outing. Steele has only had 1 of his 9 bouts go to a decision so his fight with Hall is shaping up to be a barnburner as neither man likes to go for the decision. Don’t blink as Hall and Steele have the power and technique to end the fight early. Also on the card, former UFC fighter Marvin “The Beastman” Eastman (17-14-1) fights Dmitry Zabolotny (5-2) in a light heavyweight showdown. Eastman is traveling from Las Vegas and for the veteran fighter, this is an opportunity to get back in the win column against a tough up and coming East Coast prospect. Eastman has fought everyone from Quinton Jackson to Vitor Belfort in his impressive career and this will be one more top fighter on his list. Eastman is hungry to prove he still belongs in the upper echelon of fighters in the 205 lb division. Zabolotny is one of the new breed of Russian fighters, though he currently trains and lives in New York. Zabolotny has a varied arsenal of attacks including a great submission game. Winning all of his last 5 fights, Zabolotny looks to add a UFC veteran’s name to that list on April 27. It will be Eastman’s striking versus Zabolotny’s ground skills.

BUY ANY EVENT HERE

- Friday, April 27, 2012 9:00pm ET featuring CutThroat MMA Invasion Chicago. The 2012 WKA North American Champion and CGT fighter Axel Mendez will take on a California native Anthony Pazmino. The last Muay Thai fight that Axel had under the CutThroat banner he won by KO, so he is looking to end Anthony’s night the same way. The 17 year old will be looking to continue his Muay Thai dominance. The other 2012 WKA North American Champion in the Carlson Gracie Team MMA camp Dorothy Schultz will also be in action at Invasion Chicago. She immediately jumped at the opportunity to fight on the card, and will be facing another champion. Dorothy’s opponent for Invasion Chicago will be the Arizona Muay Thai champion Desiree Brandt. This will be an exciting fight between highly skilled Muay Thai practitioners and champions. The Co-Main event of the night has seen a slight change. Danny “the Machine” Morales will be defending his CutThroat Welterweight title, but it will not be against his original opponent, David Booth. Danny will now be defending his title against Shane Grenko. Shane is fighting out of White Buffalo Warrior in Washington. Tom Shoaff will be the Main Event of the night. He was originally scheduled to fight Eric Rasmussen for the CutThroat Lightweight title. But that quickly changed soon after the fight was officially announced. It took several weeks to find a replacement to fight in Eric’s place. Fighting in his place will be Warren Roberds. Warren is coming into Invasion Chicago from Las Vegas, Nevada where he trains out of UFC fighter Wanderlei Silva’s camp, Wand Fight Team.

BUY ANY EVENT HERE

- Saturday, April 28, 2012 7:00pm ET featuring Cage Fighting Extreme (CFX) presents Japan VS Minnesota at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the main event, Strikeforce veteran Jeremy “The Hawk” Hamilton (8-1) fights UFC veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida (12-6) in a welterweight showdown. Hamilton is a tall welterweight standing 6’3″ and uses his long limbs to submit opponents as well as keep them at a distance with his striking. Hamilton has a great finishing percentage as he has stopped 7 opponents out of 8 and looks to make a statement against the gritty Japanese fighter who can withstand tons of punishment. A victory for Hamilton here puts him in elite standing and will no doubt make promoters from around the world take notice. Yoshida is a world-class judoka and is coming off a victory against former UFC fighter Phil Baroni. Yoshida also holds wins against Dan Hardy and War Machine and looks to finish Hamilton in front of what will no doubt be a partisan crowd in Hamilton’s favor. This matchup will answer a lot of questions for both fighters and for one of them a victory here will send his career up the ladder. In co-main event, Travis Perzynski (13-5) battles Yoshihiro Koyama (12-2-1) in a lightweight matchup. Perzynski is a Midwest veteran and has fought for all the top organizations in the area. On a two-fight winning streak with both fights ending in the first round, Perzynski has proven to be a fast started with excellent standup and grappling skills. A victory over the Shooto and DEEP veteran will be the biggest victory of Perzynski’s career. For Koyama, this will be his first fight in the United States and will be the first time most fans have a chance to watch the wrestling wizard in action. MMA is truly a global sport and fans get the opportunity to watch two different fighters who only a few years ago would have never had the opportunity to be matched up against one another fight in a cage in Minneapolis and broadcast worldwide on GFL.tv. This fight could be fight of the night as both men will come out guns blazing and look to make an example out of the other and gain a greater fan following at the same time.

BUY ANY EVENT HERE

- Saturday, April 28, 2012 8:00pm ET featuring Spartan Fighting Championship 14(Free Airing) at The Arena at Montgomery County High in Mount Sterling, Kentucky. In the main event, it will be Ohio versus Kentucky as Chris “The Samurai” Bennett (6-3) fights JP Felty (2-3) for the Professional Spartan Fighting Championship Lightweight Title. This is Bennett’s first fight back since recovering from neck surgery due to an injury sustained in training last year. Bennett is a grappling wizard as all 6 wins of his have come via submission. He has finished half of his opponents by guillotine choke so if and when the action hits the mat look for Bennett to attack Felty’s neck. For Felty, he too likes to grapple as both of his wins have come via submission, so fans could be in for a chess match in this bout. It also could turn in to a striking free-for-all as often times grapplers prefer to settle their differences in the standup as opposed to trying out their grappling on another strong submission specialist. However this bout goes, someone is walking away with gold and for that very reason this fight should steal the show. SFC 14 will also feature more of the Ohio Valley’s toughest fighters including, Robert Montgomery, Michael Cockerham, Ben Cook, Mark Jones and Tyler Ingram. All these fighters will be look to claw and scrape their way to the top and eventually find themselves in the same place Bennett and Felty are and that’s going for professional gold!

BUY ANY EVENT HERE

MMA EVENTS ON GFL COMBAT SPORTS NETWORK is a post from: CAGERADIO

APRIL 28

IN KANSAS CITY, KAN.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (April 23, 2012) – SHOWTIME Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) voice Mauro Ranallo, light heavyweight superstar “King Mo” Lawal and women’s star Julie “Fireball” Kedzie will call the action cageside at the first-ever Invicta Fighting Championships all-women’s professional MMA event, live on InvictaFC.com, from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. on Saturday, April 28.

Ranallo, the lead commentator for Strikeforce on Showtime as well as for Canada’s The Score Fighting Series and a former commentator for Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships, will serve as the play-by-play announcer during the live stream of the event.

“I have always been a huge advocate of female MMA and I am very excited to be a part of the inaugural Invicta show,” said Ranallo. “The ladies have a history of stealing the show from the guys, so it’s nice to see them get a show of their own.”

Lawal is a former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion who burst onto the fight scene four years ago with four straight victories in Japan’s World Victory Road MMA series and has since amassed a career record of 8-1 (1 NC). A former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler for Oklahoma State University, the 31-year-old has gained recognition for his technical knowledge of MMA and his meticulous attention to fighters’ styles.

“I’m excited to be a part of this event with some of the top women’s fighters in the world,” said Lawal. “The growth of women’s MMA is going to soar even more now, thanks to what Invicta is doing.”

Like Lawal, Kedzie brings a wealth of MMA fight experience with her to the show. A student of famed trainer Greg Jackson, the 31-year-old has been competing as a professional since 2004 and holds a career record of 16-9.

“This Invicta show is a landmark moment in the history of women’s MMA and I’m very excited and honored that I was asked to be a part of it,” said Kedzie.

The live stream on InvictaFC.com will begin at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST with the event’s five-bout preliminary card and continue with the six-bout main card.

The first-ever Invicta Fighting Championships event will be headlined by a long-awaited featherweight (145 pounds) rematch between superstar Marloes Coenen (19-5) of The Netherlands and Romy Ruyssen (5-1) of France. Coenen was the victor of their first meeting on Aug. 2, 2008 by way of submission (rear-naked choke) in the second round of action.

In the co-main event, two 29-year-old submission specialists – Jessica Penne (8-1) of Laguna Hills, Calif. and Lisa Ellis-Ward (14-7) of Lacey, Wash.- will square off with one another at strawweight (105 pounds).

Strikeforce bantamweight star and United States Marine Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche (5-2) of San Diego, Calif. will square off with unbeaten prospect Ashleigh Curry (1-0) of Kansas City, Mo.

Another Strikeforce bantamweight competitor, Sarah D’Alelio (4-2) of San Jose, Calif., will face undefeated former Royce Gracie student and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Vanessa Mariscal (2-0) of El Segundo, Calif.

Leslie Smith (3-2) of Pleasant Hill, Calif. will meet Kaitlin Young (7-5) of St. Louis Park, Minn. at bantamweight and Sally Krumdiack (9-4) of Bellingham, Wash. will duke it out with Sarah Schneider (5-5) of Kansas City, Mo. at flyweight (115 pounds).

Making her MMA debut on the preliminary card will be 2008 Olympic wrestling bronze medalist Randi Miller (0-0) of Denver, Colo. Miller will face unbeaten Mollie Estes (1-0) of Lake Lotawana, Mo. at featherweight.

In preliminary card action, Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (7-5) of Tulsa, Okla. will take on Amy Davis (2-2) of Idaho Falls, Idaho at strawweight. Sarah Maloy (2-2) of Ada, Okla. will meet Michele Gutierrez (3-2) of Las Vegas, Nev. in a super flyweight (125 pounds) tilt. Unbeaten Ashley Cummins (2-0) of St. Louis will battle Sofia Bagherdai (4-1) of Upland, Calif. at flyweight. Cassie Rodish (1-3) of Waukee, Iowa will face Meghan Wright (1-3) of Cincinnati, Ohio in a strawweight matchup.

All bouts have been approved by the Kansas State Athletic Commission.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.

MAURO RANALLO, “KING MO” LAWAL AND JULIE KEDZIE TO CALL THE ACTION AT INVICTA FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS is a post from: CAGERADIO

It was already announced that Fedor Emelianenko’s next fight would be June 21 in Russia, but now the former heavyweight kingpin has an opponent. He will square off with another longtime veteran of the sport in Pedro Rizzo, according to M-1 Global Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan.

Fedor has recently bounced back from a three-fight losing streak that pushed him out the door at Strikeforce. He scored victories over Jeff Monson and Satoshi Ishii to close out 2011, putting him back on the winning track.

This fight with Rizzo will be Fedor’s first of 2012.

Rizzo is on a three-fight winning streak himself, having defeated Monson, Gary Goodridge, and Ken Shamrock consecutively. The fight with Shamrock, his most recent, too place in July of 2010; so it will have been almost two years since Rizzo fought when he faces Fedor in Russia.

Fedor To Face Pedro Rizzo in Russia is a post from: CAGERADIO