The Ultimate Fighter USA Vs. United Kingdom new season april 1, Spike TV

UFC: The Ultimate Fighter - U.S vs. UK cast revealed
“THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: UNITED STATES VS. UNITED KINGDOM,” PREMIERES APRIL 1
Season Features 16 Lightweights and 16 Welterweights In A Battle For International Supremacy In The Octagon®
Two Of The UFC’s Top Middleweights, Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson, To Serve As Coaches
New York, NY, March 9, 2009 - More than two centuries after the United States achieved its independence from England, friction between the two nations is about to flare up again when “The Ultimate Fighter: United States Vs. United Kingdom” premieres Wednesday, April 1 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT on Spike TV.
For these 32 up-and-coming mixed martial arts fighters, two things are on the line: bragging rights for their respective countries, and a six-figure contract with the preeminent mixed martial arts organization in the world, The Ultimate Fighting Championship.®
Season nine of Spike TV’s wildly successful original series, “The Ultimate Fighter,” features 16 lightweights (155 lbs) and 16 welterweights (170 lbs). They will train and compete under the watchful eye of the coaches, “The Ultimate Fighter 3″ champion and top middleweight contender Michael Bisping, and former concurrent PRIDE champion of the 185 lbs and 205 lbs divisions and U.S. Olympian, Dan Henderson.
Each of the 32 contestants must fight his way into the Ultimate Fighter House by winning a preliminary bout that will be featured during the first two episodes (April 1 and 8). The remaining 10 episodes will feature the victorious 16 fighters and their quest for the coveted “Ultimate Fighter” crown.
The 32 fighters for “The Ultimate Fighter: United States Vs. United Kingdom” include:
Fighting to Represent the United States
Welterweight:
- Ryan BiglarA member of team Cobra Kai in Las Vegas, Biglar is a 24-year-old jiu-jitsu artist originally from Guam.
- Ray ElbeBorn and raised in Arizona, the 25-year-old Elbe (20-11) has spent parts of the last three years perfecting his muay thai skills in Phuket, Thailand.
- Christian FulgiumFighting out of the Gladiator camp in Lafayette, Louisiana, Fulgium is a wrestler with a combined 6-2-1 mixed martial arts record.
- DaMarques JohnsonJohnson, a member of Elite Performance in Salt Lake City, Utah, began training in mixed martial arts in 2001 while serving in the military. He has since amassed a 13-6 mixed martial arts record.
- Kevin KnabjianBorn and raised in Chicago, Knabjian (10-3-1) wrestled at Division 1 Eastern Illinois University and graduated with a degree in Business Management. Knabjian trains out of Gilbert Grappling in Chicago.
- Mark MillerA 5′10″ welterweight muay thai artist, Miller (10-4) trains out of Dino Costeas MMA and Toro Muay Thai in Chicago.
- Jason PierceA former soccer standout at the University of Illinois at Springfield, Pierce (9-0) trains with Bettendorf’s Miletich Fighting Systems camp.
- Kiel ReidBorn and raised in Bettendorf, Iowa, Reid (8-1) returned to the area in 2005 to take up mixed martial arts full-time with the Miletich Fighting Systems camp.
Lightweight:- Paul BirdA stand-up fighter, Paul Bird (4-1) trains in West Des Moines, Iowa out of the Des Moines MMA camp.
- Santino DeFranco26-year-old Santino DeFranco trains out of Southwest MMA in Tempe, AZ. A 5′10″ jiu-jitsu specialist, DeFranco holds a 13-4 mixed martial arts record.
- Jason DentSumbission specialist Jason Dent owns and operates Griffon Brawl gym in Mentor, Ohio. He holds a combined 19-9 mixed martial arts record with bouts against Roger Huerta at UFC 63 and Gleison Tibau at UFC 68 under his belt.
- Cameron DollarA member of Fight Factory in Colorado Springs, CO, Dollar (4-1) has trained with TUF alums Cory Hill and Noah Thomas.
- Tom HaydenTom Hayden, 4-0, is a ground specialist who trains out of TUF 2 alum’s Jorge Gurgel camp in West Chester, OH.
- Waylon LoweFighting out of Jorge Gurgel’s camp in Ohio, the 28-year-old Waylon Lowe owns a 5-2 mixed martial arts record.
- Josh SouderA well-rounded fighter out of Team Prodigy in Ohio, the 5′7″ Josh Souder owns a 7-2 overall mixed martial arts record.
- Richie WhitsonBorn and raised in Alaska, the heavy-handed Whitson holds a perfect 4-0 mixed martial arts record. He currently trains out of Temecula, CA with Team Quest.
Fighting to Represent the United Kingdom
Welterweight:- Dean AmarasingheRough House Gym’s Dean Amarasinghe (4-1) is a 5′10″ grappler from Nottingham, England.
- James Bateman5′10″ striker James Bateman (2-1) trains with Grimsby NHB in Grimsby, England.
- David Faulkner5′9″ ground specialist David Faulkner trains with Wolfslair in Widnes, England. The 28-year-old born in Kirkby holds a 2-1 mixed martial arts record.
- Tommy Maguire20-year-old Tommy Maguire trains in Wisbech, England with Tsunami Gym. The 5′7″ stand-up fighter holds a 5-2 mixed martial arts record, with three wins coming via TKO.
- Che MillsBorn is Gloucester, England, 6′2″ welterweight Che Mills (7-2) trains with Mark Weir’s Range Fighting in the UK.
- Nicholas OsipczakSporting a perfect 3-0 record, Nicholas Osipczak trains in London, England with Pancrase UK.
- Alex ReidAlexander Reid trains in London, England with the London Shoot Fighters. The 33-year-old stand up artist is 10-9-1 in his twenty mixed martial arts bouts.
- James WilksBorn and raised in England, 30-year-old fighter James Wilks has trained with Eric Paulson in Orange County, California since 2000. The 6′1″ striker is 5-2 in his mixed martial arts career.
Lightweight:- James BryanLightweight James Bryan (3-1) is a 25-year-old stand up fighter from Somerset, England.
- Dan JamesDan James, 3-0, is a stand up artist fighting out of Swansea, Wales. The 5′10″ fighter has won two of his fights by TKO.
- Gary KellyWolfslair fighter Gary Kelly (2-1) is a 25-year-old striker from Liverpool, England.
- Jeff Lawson5′6 lightweight Jess Lawson (13-2) trains with Team Bulldog out of Dorset, England.
- Ross Pearson24-year-old striker Ross Pearson (9-3) is a member of Sunderland Jiu-Jitsu & MMA Club in Sunderland, England.
- Martin StapletonBorn in Manchester, England, 25-year-old Thai boxer Martin Stapleton (5-1) trains with Quannum Combat Arts.
- AJ WennCambs, England’s AJ Wenn is a well-rounded fighter training out of Tsunami Gym. The 24-year-old has a 7-2 mixed martial arts record.
- Andre WinnerLightweight Andre Winner (9-2-1) trains out of Rough House in London, England.
During the six-week taping of “The Ultimate Fighter: United States Vs. United Kingdom,” these 16 men who survived the prelims endured a grueling regimen of jiu-jitsu, judo, muay thai, karate, boxing and wrestling. The intense competition between the fighters continues after they leave the gym - at The Ultimate Fighter House. These warriors must live together, knowing that any day they might be forced to fight each other in the famed UFC OctagonTM.
The two finalists will square off in a live finale Saturday, June 20 on Spike TV, when the two weight class winners will be declared “The Ultimate Fighter” and net the aforementioned contract and a cash prize. UFC President Dana White will once again serve as host of the series.
After each show, Spike.com users will get exclusive extended footage from each episode and an exclusive video leak of the upcoming episode.
Craig Piligian of Pilgrim Films and Television, Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White of Zuffa, LLC, and Kevin Kay of Spike TV are the show’s executive producers. Brian J. Diamond, senior vice president, Sports & Specials, Spike TV is co-executive producer and Christopher Martello is executive in charge of production for Spike TV.

Bobby Lashley starts he"s MMA Debut

Bobby Lashley raced across the cage at the bell, picked up Joshua Franklin and viciously slammed him to the floor.

This all in the first 15 seconds of the one-time World Wrestling Entertainment star’s professional mixed martial arts debut on Dec. 13 in Miami.

Lashley, exhibiting an uncommon mixture of speed, quickness, power and strength, went on to win that bout in 41 seconds, showing the kind of potential that makes promoters want to get his name on a contract.

He’s powerfully built, comfortable performing in front of a crowd and athletic enough that one could easily forget you’re watching a 250- pound man move around the cage.


Sounds kind of familiar, doesn’t it?

It’s the same sort of path UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar took after departing professional wrestling. And though Lashley doesn’t see the many similarities that are drawn between himself and Lesnar, he hopes to replicate Lesnar’s success.

“Brock has obviously done exceptionally well in the short period of time he’s been fighting,” the physically massive but exceptionally soft-spoken three-time NAIA national champion said. “Anyone who is in this profession would like that kind of success.”

Lashley, 32, faces veteran Jason Guida on Saturday in a combined boxing/MMA pay-per-view card in Pensacola, Fla., in the second step of his professional journey.

The one-time soldier professes great respect for Guida and insists he expects a difficult test despite Guida’s so-so 17-19 record. Lashley isn’t short on competitive experience, having wrestled four years in high school and in college, as well as in the Army, but he concedes that someone with nearly 40 pro MMA fights is a challenge for a guy with less than a minute of pro experience.

“I definitely have to take into consideration that he has a lot of

ring experience,” Lashley said. “Anyone with that kind of experience poses some danger to a newcomer. I can’t just go in expecting to dominate the match, because I know the guy has some tricks from being around so long.”

That hardly means that Lashley plans an extended feeling-out process. He’s significantly bigger than Guida and plans to find out how well Guida will be able to deal with his size.

If Lashley is true to his word, Guida’s going to have a 250-pound knot of muscle in his face not long after the bell rings.

“I’m throwing these 250 pounds in his face real quick and see if he has what it takes to withstand the abuse and the punishment,” Lashley said. “If he does, it’s going to lead to a longer fight. If he doesn’t, I’m thinking it will be a real short fight.”

Many fighters as large as Lashley are ponderous and can’t fight at a sustained pace for long periods of time. But he insists he’ll be able to push from the start – “I am in phenomenal shape right now,” he says – because he wasn’t always a heavyweight.

He began growing very quickly while he was in college and morphed into a physical specimen who retained the fast-twitch muscles of someone much smaller.

As a freshman in high school, he was a 110-pounder wrestling at 112. As a sophomore, he began wrestling at 119, but was getting bigger almost by the day and competed at 125, 130 and 135 all in the same year. He was a 140-pounder as a junior and a 160-pounder as a senior.

He was recruited to wrestle for Missouri Valley College as a 158-pounder. Problem was, he had already shot up to 195 by the time he hit campus. He never stopped growing and quickly became a massive heavyweight with a bantamweight’s instincts.

“You think of heavyweights as slow-moving, big, strong guys, but I grew up and learned the sport small,” Lashley said. “I learned how to move with a faster pace of training when I was small, and I was able to keep going at that pace as I got bigger and kept growing.”

After winning three NAIA wrestling championships in his four years at Missouri Valley, he had a stint in the Army, winning two Armed Forces championships. He then caught the eye of the WWE’s Vince McMahon, who knew that Lashley’s physique, athleticism and personality made him a natural for professional wrestling.

He was put into the WWE’s developmental program and competed in Ohio Valley Wrestling. By 2005, he was in the WWE. Lashley went on to a successful career and captured the ECW title.

He endured the grueling regimen of a professional wrestler, competing up to 250 days a year despite all manner of injuries. But McMahon lost interest in him not long after Lashley had shoulder surgery.

Lashley hadn’t lost the desire to compete and decided to make the move to MMA, where he has trained with the vaunted American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. Like Lesnar, who instantly became one of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view attractions thanks to the fan base he’d accumulated as a pro wrestling, Lashley understands that much of the interest in him these days can be attributed to his relationship with the WWE.

“This is a fight, but you have to remember that fighting is still

entertainment,” Lashley said. “The fact that I’m bringing a different fan base to fighting, and a large fan base, will help me. I’m in my second fight and I’m one of the top names on the pay-per-view. That’s because I am bringing a different fan base with me. I don’t mind the pressure of the expectations, because I’ve been an athlete and I’m used to that. I have a job to do and I’ve trained hard for it.”

Lashley is smart enough to realize that while his WWE affiliation has gotten him in the door, he’s going to have to prove himself to the MMA fans who may be skeptical about him.

“This is a results-oriented business and it’s up to me to take

advantage of the opportunity I have been given,” Lashley said. “Of course I want to make it to the highest levels of this business. Who doesn’t? I’m not expecting anything to be given to me, though.

“I want to create a buzz, but I want to do it by the way I fight.”

yahoo.com

R.I.P Mask Lewis Founder Of Tapout !

The Orange County District Attorney on Friday morning filed charges against Jeffrey David Kirby in relation to the car accident that killed Charles “Mask” Lewis, the founder of popular mixed martial arts clothing company Tapout.

A statement from the Orange County DA’s office stated that Kirby is a second-time drunken driver and accused of killing Lewis and injuring his girlfriend, Lacy Lynn White, when Kirby crashed his Porsche into Lewis’ Ferrari, causing it to slam into a light pole. The Ferrari split in half upon impacting the pole.

Kirby, 51, of Costa Mesa, Calif., is charged with one felony count of vehicular manslaughter by unlawful act with gross negligence while intoxicated, one felony count of driving under the influence causing bodily injury, and sentencing enhancements for fleeing the scene of a vehicular manslaughter and causing great bodily injury to multiple victims. He has a prior conviction for driving under the influence in 2002.

Kirby faces a maximum sentence of 19 years and eight months in state prison if convicted. He is currently being held on $2 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon in Newport Beach.



is accused of speeding alongside a 2004 Ferrari driven by the 45-year-old Lewis, of Huntington Beach, losing control of his car due to his unsafe speed, and crashing into Lewis’ vehicle.

Lewis then lost control of his Ferrari, which crashed into a cement light pole. The Ferrari was torn in half. Kirby is accused of swerving and coming to a stop for several seconds before accelerating and fleeing the scene.

Lewis was trapped inside the front half of the Ferrari, which had to be dismantled in order to remove him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Lewis’ 23-year-old passenger, Lacy Lynn White, was ejected from the car and landed on the nearby dirt embankment. She was transported to Western Medical Center to be treated for a fractured elbow and several lacerations and abrasions. She is currently in stable condition, according to the Orange County DA statement.

After fleeing the scene, Kirby allegedly parked his Porsche on a nearby side street. A responding Newport Beach Police officer spotted the car and saw Kirby and a passenger from his car, 32-year-old Lynn Marie Nabozny, walking away. Both were then apprehended.

Kirby is accused of emitting an odor of alcohol, slurring his speech, and having bloodshot and watery eyes. He was arrested at the scene. At approximately 3:00 a.m., two hours after the crash, Kirby is accused of having a blood alcohol level of 0.13 percent. Nabozny was arrested for public intoxication and later released.

As stated, Charles “Mask” Lewis was one of the founders of Tapout. The company began as an effort of a small group of friends that had a passion for mixed martial arts and its fighters. From its humble beginnings, selling t-shirts out of the back of a car, Tapout has grown alongside the sport itself. Registering $29,000 in sales in 1999, according to The Press-Enterprise, Tapout’s sales reportedly rose to $25 million by 2007 and were projected to be more than $100 million in 2008.

Mask – along with cohorts Dan “Punkass” Caldwell and Skyscrape – was an extremely popular figure in the mixed martial arts world, a site rarely missed at most major MMA events.

UFC president Dana White told Neil Davidson of the Canadian Press, “You couldn’t meet a nicer guy, a more friendly, outgoing guy, a more loyal guy (than Mask). He really was a good person. He’s one of the pioneers, one of the legends of this sport.

“This guy was selling T-shirts out of the trunk of his car and when we first got involved with the UFC, we met them. We really liked them. We liked their energy. They were good people and we got together and we started doing all this grassroots marketing together – the UFC and Tapout. They were very loyal to us and we were very loyal to them.

“And it sucks to see a guy who has worked so hard his whole life, to finally make it and break through, and then have something like this happen to him.”

In his online blog, Tapout’s Punkass said goodbye. “To my best friend in the world, you’ll be forever missed, but always remembered.”

Mask , was a fun and very nice person !! RIP!

ufcmmaextreme

UFC 96 Knock outs - Highlights -

Matt Hamill KTFO Mark Munoz with Head Kick UFC 96



Shane Carwin KOs and Finishes Gabriel Gonzaga UFC 96



Kendall Grove Drops and Finishes Jason Day UFC 96



Rashad and Rampage Trash Talking

Winners At UFC 96 ( Jackson or Jardine ) ?

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson knocked Keith Jardine down with a big right hand in the waning seconds of the third and final round to clinch a unanimous decision in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC 96 at Nationwide Arena.
The victory earned him a title match against light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. But after the card, there appeared to be questions about whether Jackson, a former champion, will get the next title match.
About 15 minutes after the match was over, Jackson was told the match, which he was expecting would take place July 11, was being moved to May 23 because the UFC had decided to flip-flop the light heavyweight title matches and a heavyweight title match between injured Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar, originally scheduled for the later date.
“Damn,” Jackson said. “I’ll do anything for [UFC president] Dana [White]. I had plans to go on a vacation and find an Asian girl and fly first class, stay in a hut and tell her how I was going to win the light heavyweight title. Now it looks like I have to get my ass back to England to train in two weeks.”
In reality, Jackson is going to have to assess his condition and then decide whether or not he’s going to take the fight, a decision that he and White indicated he would probably make toward the end of this week. It would be his third fight in five months. If not, undefeated Lyoto Machida, who has already accepted the fight, will face Evans on May 23.
Jackson didn’t act enthusiastic about the timing, and said he’d have to speak to his management about the switch in dates. He said it was most likely he would take the fight.
“Rampage” (30-7) won the unanimous decision over Jardine (14-6-1), Evans’ best friend and training partner in Albuquerque, N.M., with scores of 29-28, 29-28, 30-27. Jardine’s unorthodox style seemed to confuse Jackson in the first round, which was close. Jardine won on two of the three judges cards because he landed more often even though Jackson scored with harder punches.

Jackson noted that when he got into the cage with Jardine, early in the first round, he felt overtrained.
“I peaked too soon,” he said. “I was knocking people out a few weeks ago.”
Jackson won the second round, scoring an early knockdown, although Jardine rallied late in the round, which ended with fans giving the fighters a standing ovation. The third round was close, but Jardine was slightly in the lead until Jackson staggered him with a flurry of punches with about 40 seconds left. Jackson decked Jardine with seconds left with an overhand right and left hook combination, which clinched the fight.
“One of the judges told me I had the fight won until the last 10 seconds,” said a frustrated Jardine, who owns victories over former UFC light heavyweight champs Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin.
Jackson said his original game plan was to rush Jardine but felt flat when he got into the cage.
“It was me,” he said, when asked if Jardine’s awkward style caused him to change strategy. “I probably psyched myself out.”
“I knew it was close,” Jardine said. “I don’t play the points game. I was trying to finish it at the end.”
“I wasn’t hurt,” he said, noting he felt he executed his game plan during the fight. “The punch was just hard enough to put me down.”
After Jackson was announced as the winner, Evans came into the ring and the two had a face-off which brought the near-sellout crowd of 17,033 fans to a frenzy, with Jackson vowing to knock Evans out. At the time, Jackson was still under the impression the fight would be held in July.
The switch in dates was arranged Saturday. White said he got the word about Mir’s knee injury on Friday afternoon from reporters Kevin Iole and Neil Davidson. At the time, he didn’t believe the story, because he hadn’t yet heard anything.
Mir, who was in Columbus for the Arnold Schwarzenegger Fitness Expo this weekend, had arthroscopic surgery earlier in the week to clean up bone chips behind the kneecap.
“He could have done the fight but he would have only had three weeks to train for it,” White said. “The doctors said that he couldn’t be sure to go all out on the knee until that time.”
The company’s two options if they were to postpone Lesnar vs. Mir were to move either Evans’ fight or welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre’s title defense against Thiago Alves up two months.
St. Pierre, who fought Jan. 31 and beat lightweight champ B.J. Penn, was back in camp within a few weeks to get teammate Nate Marquardt ready for his Feb. 21 fight in London, where he beat Wilson Gouveia. St. Pierre said he needed some down time after training.
White said that he went right from the press conference, where he was told about the injury, to a TV satellite series of interviews, while at the same time trying to get in touch with Mir’s people. Evans was with him at the time and when he found out Mir was injured, White broached moving the fight up to Evans, who was agreeable.
The July 11 UFC 100 may, economy willing, be the biggest pay-per-view event in company history with Lesnar vs. Mir for the heavyweight title, St. Pierre vs. Alves for the welterweight title and a match of “Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 coaches Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson as the three main events.

UFC 100 - Will be Frank Mir Vs Brock Lesnar

COLUMBUS, Ohio – After initially insisting that the fight would go on as scheduled, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has decided to move the heavyweight title unification match between champion Brock Lesnar and interim champ Frank Mir from UFC 98 on May 23 in Las Vegas to UFC 100 on July 11, also in Las Vegas.
The decision was made by UFC to flip-flop the scheduled main events of the two shows. The next Rashad Evans light heavyweight championship match, originally slated for UFC 100, will instead headline the May 23 card.
Evans’ opponent will be either former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jasckon or undefeated Lyoto Machida.
Jackson, after defeating Keith Jardine in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC 96 card, earned a shot at the title. However, Jackson has fought twice in two and a half months and has to decide if he is able to handle taking the fight in May. If not, Machida has agreed to take Jackson’s place on May 23 and Jackson will fight for the title at a later date.
Mir underwent arthroscopic knee surgery earlier this week and had asked for the fight to be moved back. He had said he wouldn’t be able to spar or grapple for four to six more weeks, leaving him without enough time for a full camp to get ready in preparation for the originally scheduled date.