Demian Maia responds to Chael Sonnen?s criticisms of Brazil

In an extended interview with MMA Fighting, Chael Sonnen gave his thoughts on, well, everything, and that included his views on Brazil. He said he was surprised that they even had computers in the South American country.

Demian Maia, a proud Brazilian, responded to Sonnen here.

Maia caught Sonnen in a triangle at UFC 95, and then after beating up on Anderson Silva for four rounds at UFC 117, Silva submitted Sonnen in a combo arm bar/triangle choke. In fact, Sonnen's last five losses were submissions, and four of those were to Brazilian fighters.

But Sonnen won't have to worry about losing to another Brazilian in his next bout, as he is taking on Brian "All-American" Stann.

Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata

Countdown to UFC 131 - UFC

Full episode! Vancouver is on notice - heavy hands mean a big-time main event unlikely to go the distance in Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin. Plus Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes and Demian Maia vs. Mark Mu�oz - see what's in store!

Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau

Don?t pick against Jackson: Couture called a ?fake [expletive] has-been? for doing so

There are two Quinton Jacksons. The boisterous, cocky "Rampage" who showed up at the UFC 135 press conference on Tuesday in Denver and hypersensitive, delicate Jackson who lashes out like a youngster if he's criticized or called on the carpet.

We saw a great example of that when he threatened to quit MMA in late 2009 claiming he was being mistreated and used by the UFC. That came roughly 14 months after UFC management bailed him out and stuck with him after a bizarre driving rampage in Southern California.

This week, in between dropping some epic trash talk on young Jon Jones, Jackson flipped out on Randy Couture. What did Couture do? The retired UFC legend had the nerve to pick against Jackson in his last fight!

A Twitter war unfolded between the 33-year-old Jackson and Couture, 48.

Here's the video where Couture hurt Jackson's feelings:

Jackson wore Xtreme Couture/Affliction gear during his walkout at UFC 114x in May of 2010. It sounds like he's suggesting Couture's "anti-Jackson" picks are motivated by Rampage changing apparel providers.

Twitter graphic via USA Today

Todd Duffee  Marvin Eastman  Stav Crazy Bear Economou  Yves Edwards  Justin Eilers 

(Surreal) Surf Artist - John Coopwood

The second successive surf artist based in Costa Rica to be added to Club Of The Waves. This time John Coopwood, with a great portfolio mix of fine art, murals and surreal art. "Here is an artist who uses rich colors and various blends of dreams, reality, and a touch of Salsa Fresca to bring his subjects to life… His insane depth has allowed him to challenge his innermost self to bring forth pictures of mood, imagination and bold imagery". Enjoy…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/john-coopwood.php



www.coopwoodart.com

Ryo Piranha Chonan  Dan The Sandman Christison  Logan The Pink Pounder Clark  Steve The Snake Claveau  Rich No Love Clementi 

New art from Fernanda O'Connell

Just updated surf artist Fernanda O'Connell's profile with all new paintings of waves and seascapes. Born in Brazil, Fernanda now resides in NSW, Australia, where she was recently selected to exhibit in one of the most prominent Regional Galleries in Australia. Her paintings are available as limited edition prints on her website. Once you get to her profile, click on the images to see them enlarged. Enjoy…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/fernanda-oconnell.php



www.fernandaoconnell.com

Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch

Working in MMA: Bernie Profato, Ohio Athletic Commission

This week, Cagewriter is taking a look at different jobs within the MMA world. Click here to read the other posts on the subject.

On the way to becoming the head of the Ohio Athletic Commission, Bernie Profato served as a police officer, Marine, softball umpire, basketball official, and boxing referee. In his seven years at the head of the commission that oversees every MMA event, Ohio has grown from hosting four events a year to 144. He gave Cagewriter a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into preparing for events.

Cagewriter: Bernie, I want to give readers a look behind-the-scenes at what state commissions do.

Bernie Profato: Our first concern is always safety. The safety of fighter comes first, then the rules. There's a lot of issues that go around making that safe environment, not just the rules, but everything going up to the rules. I have to make sure we get the three Ws: the fighters and promoters win, the sport wins, and that means the state of Ohio wins. There's a lot involved.

CW: What kind of preparation goes into overseeing an MMA event, especially some of the bigger UFC, WEC and Strikeforce cards that Ohio has hosted?

BP: Every event is really treated the same as far as what we do to make sure we're consistent. We have to make sure they have a promoter's license. The first thing we want them to do is go to our website and look at the list of the 40-something things that are the promoter's responsibility. Somebody can't just say, 'I saw something on TV, I want to promote something tomorrow.' It just doesn't happen that way. There's a lot we're going to expect of you so that you can be successful, and the sport can be successful.

Once you get the permit OKed, you have to list your planned bouts on the MMA LLC website. Every one of those fights is approved or denied by me. If I deny the fight, I put why it's denied, whether that it's not competitive or if there is a need for a medical clearance. Every fight is scrutinized.

It's also our job to see if these guys are licensed in the state of Ohio, or they have to turn in their medical paperwork. If they're over 35, they have more medicals, and if they're over 39, they have to get even more medicals. We have to check FightFax to make sure this person isn't a boxer under suspension. At event time, my inspectors cover the events. They'll issue a license and a national ID, they conduct weigh-ins, doctors do the pre-fight exams. The inspectors will then send in the results, and notify us of any suspensions, whether it's medical or administrative. (For example, unsportsmanlike conduct.)

CW: So it's your job to oversee all that?

BP: I get involved. I'm a hands-on person. I'm not the type of director who just sits at a desk and delegates. I'm part of a team, and we've got a great team.

CW: How do you keep track of so many fights?

BP: We use a database that shows if a fighter is suspended and his name comes up in bright yellow. It tells us everything. In Ohio, a fighter can't turn pro unless he's had five fights. I've had to deny guy's pro fights because they were just 2-0. Are we being too nitpicky? Maybe, but you know what, I don't know who this guy fought. We're going to err on the side of the safety.

Once you've had four losses in a row, we have to note it, and it doubles your suspension. If they lose seven fights in a row, we tell them, maybe you should try bowling or golf. I had a fighter call me from out-of-state who had 16 losses in a row. He had never even seen a ring girl. He had never gotten out of the first round. I told him that there's no way he'll get licensed in the state of Ohio. You want to go steal a paycheck? Do it somewhere else. I'm not even blaming him. I'm blaming the commissions who licensed him.

Am I ever going to deny a fight that shouldn't be denied, or approve a fight that shouldn't be approved? Absolutely. We're going to be 97 or 98 percent correct, and I don't think you can ask any better than that.

CW: What's the best part of this job?

BP: Just meeting the fighters, and getting involved with all of them. The mutual respect we have for each other. They respect us in Ohio because they know we respect them. You can't go in and think these people are just a commodity and think they'll come back. We tell the promotions coming in that our goal is that they'll want to go come back to Ohio, and we always listen to their suggestions. Because the day you think you know everything? You pack it in.

In Ohio, we treat MMA as it goes back to the ancient, Oriental martial arts. In that, we feel that are four qualities that are a part of it in the martial arts tradition. A) Self-respect. B) Respect for your opponent, C) Respect for the sport and those who regulate it, and D) Self discipline. If you can't bring all four of those to the state of Ohio, don't come here.

CW: Is there much communication between you and the other states?

BP: Definitely. Someone will send out an email, "How do you handle this situation?" and we'll respond. They don't have to take our advice, but you look at the people who are successful, and try it on and see what works for you. We have the opportunity to share that knowledge with each other.

One person I've learned so much from is (New Jersey State Athletic Commission head) Nick Lembo. He is just so knowledgeable, and I'll tell you something, he saved Thiago Alves' life. Thank God he was fighting in New Jersey, because they found that issue with his brain.

I denied the Sims-Sylvia fight here because it wasn't competitive, and I took a little bit of a beating by some blogs. But then the next thing you know, the poll on TV says that people are 95 to 5 on denying that fight. You've got to keep these guys safe.

Randy Couture told me, "All other commissions should come to Ohio to see how Ohio does it." These are the top professionals in the world, and we want to treat them like professionals.

Read more from Profato's interview here. Profato has another big event to oversee, as he Ohio will host Strikeforce for the semifinals of the heavyweight Grand Prix.

Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall

Surf Artist - Robert Heeley

We've just added a new featured artist; Californian Robert Heeley. "Robert draws upon his surfing and sailing lifestyle to create inspired images of seascapes and ocean living. He captures the surfer's dream of spectacular waves at famous surf spots throughout California, Hawaii, Mexico and beyond." Enjoy…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/robert-heeley.php



- www.robertheeleyfineart.com
- www.facebook.com/robertheeleysurfart

Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath Delson Heleno Dan Henderson

Woodley uses wrestling to neutralize Daley in win at Strikeforce

Paul Daley said it wouldn't be the same as his fight against Josh Koscheck at UFC 113. That was the last time Daley faced an elite former college wrestler. Tonight it was former Missouri star Tyron Woodley and the result was pretty similar. Woodley took Daley down early in both the second and third rounds to roll to a unanimous decision victory, 29-28 on all cards.

Woodley wasn't quite as dominant as Koscheck, he did have to ward off a late Daley rush to close the fight. With Woodley (9-0) tired from working for the takedown and trying to maintain top control, Daley (27-11-2) got off some good shots in the final 90 seconds. It wasn't enough to make up for the first two rounds when landed just 3-of-12 strikes.

"He was defintely prepared for me to use a lot of takedowns," Woodley told Showtime's Gus Johnson. "So I had to mix in with strikes, counter with the strikes and when I did it well, I took him down."

With former Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz off to the UFC, Woodley probably put himself in position for a the next fight for the vacant title.

Woodley was only good on 2-of-10 takedown attempts, but he held Daley down on those occasions for nearly six minutes. With Daley's late rush, the total strikes landed count looked respectable as Woodley rolled up a 78-36 advantage.

It wasn't the most exciting gameplan, but it was smart on the part of the former college wrestler. Daley has one path to victory, to use his hands and force a slugfest. Twenty of his 27 wins have come via knockout so there's no way Woodley, with just eight pro fights under his belt, should've banged it out with the Brit.

Edson Drago  Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus  Todd Duffee 

Surf Artist - Colleen Malia Wilcox

Following on from her recent fame painting the Women's Triple Crown of Surfing poster (more here), we're proud to present Hawaiian; Colleen Malia Wilcox as a featured artist on COTW. Below is her original painting and the end poster presented by Vans. "Her artwork expresses a love of the island lifestyle and appreciation for the natural beauty of Hawaii". We hope you enjoy the rest of her art…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/colleen-malia-wilcox.php




Photo: Stephanie Gilmore winning a wooden carved rendition of Colleen's painting

- www.colleenwilcoxart.com
- http://malikodesigns.blogspot.com

Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade 

Video analysis: Iole on possibility of UFC to HBO with Greenburg gone

It's finally official. Ross Greenburg, a 33-year of employee of HBO is out as president of HBO Sports. The rumors have been swirling for most of 2011 and Greenburg decided to resign rather than get forced out.

Back in 2007, UFC worked with HBO and Greenburg on a possible deal, so that has some thinking the MMA promotion may be interested again in trying to secure an agreement for the future.

Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer joined Cagewriter to talk about the future of HBO Sports and why a deal between the UFC and the pay cable network is pretty unlikely.

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? UFC's TV landscape is about to change
? Good news for hoops recruit injured in plane crash
? NFL player handcuffed by Britney Spears

Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague

New art from Damian Fulton

Just added a bunch of new art to Damian Fulton's showcase on Club Of The Waves. Awesome stuff, check it out…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/damian-fulton.php



www.damianfulton.com

Heath Herring Branden Lee Hinkle Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

Video you need to see: Jose Aldo on the best slip and slide ever

Fair readers, sometimes we come across MMA videos that we don't understand. Videos that are in Portuguese, but soundtracked by a terrible song in English with nonsensical lyrics. Videos that involve women in bikinis and men in boardshorts cheering on the UFC featherweight champ.

But if we have one rule at Cagewriter, it's that when we see a video of Jose Aldo jumping in a giant slip and slide, we share it.

According to the video's title, he beat Demian Maia in drowning the goose. His next opponent is Kenny Florian. The two will face each other in the co-main event at UFC 136 in Houston. Hopefully, they will both incorporate slip and slides into their training.

Thanks to MMA Mania.

Kazuyuki Fujita Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan

Coker video: Is Overeem ever fighting again for Strikeforce?

This is a bizarre position for Scott Coker. The Strikeforce CEO is technically under the umbrella of Zuffa. In a recent interview with SI.com, Dana White swore up and down that he has absolutely no hand in decisions with Strikeforce. Yet when you watch or listen to Coker talking about the future of his fighters and future cards, there seems to be a hesitance about answering questions. That could be the nature of the business or he simply can't promise anything because its out of his hands.

Coker did a 12-minute interview with AOL.com and had some interesting takes on what comes down the road for Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko. A small part of the convo revolved around Alistair Overeem and his future with Strikeforce.

"I mean that's something we're going to sit down with his manager Bas [Boon] and have a conversation about," said Coker (8:00 mark).

That's not a yes or a no, but it seemed pretty curt. White recently said Overeem is definitely sticking around so it was odd for Coker to ride the fence on the question.

Coker also explained that Overeem sort of forced the bold move in the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix. When the Strikeforce heavyweight champ and tourney favorite said he was out for a fight on Sept. 10, Strikeforce had no choice but to replace him.

"We've been very good to Alistair. We've been very patient. It just didn't work out," Coker said. "If we could've took this fight to October or November we definitely would've done it."

Coker said between the busy UFC schedule, Showtime's boxing slate, the Floyd Mayweather fight in November and MLB's World Series, there weren't many dates that made sense.

On other matters, Coker said Fedor vs. Hendo is not a make or break fight for either fighter's future with Strikeforce. Even with a Henderson loss, he definitely wants to keep Henderson around. He's jazzed about Marloes Coenen vs. Miesha Tate being the first female title fight under the Zuffa banner. Coenen was a no-show at the Thursday press conference. Coker joked that he had no idea what happened calling it a "makeup issue or breakfast issue or wardrobe malfunction."

Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia

Openly gay Carmouche fighting for plenty of causes this weekend

Liz Carmouche is like most people who fear something they're unfamiliar with; the former Marine hated MMA when she first saw it. Once she learned about the sport and began training, she quickly gained an understanding. Carmouche (on the left) would probably like to see people be as open-minded when it comes to someone's sexual preference.

According to Ben Fowlkes from MMAFighting, Carmouche will be the first openly gay fighter to fight under the Zuffa banner when she steps into the cage on Friday at Strikeforce Challengers 17. Carmouche faces a former champion in Sarah Kaufman (Showtime 11 p.m. ET/PT)

After years of having to hide her identity while an active Marine, Carmouche feels liberated. Said Carmouche:

"It was really difficult. I wouldn't say I came out so much as I came into my own. I really discovered what my sexuality meant to me and what that meant to me as a person. I was able to come out to my family, but other than that I couldn't come out to co-workers or to friends because of what that would mean for my military life and my career. That made my life difficult, because I felt like I was constantly conflicted and at war with myself every day that I faced people."

Carmouche's sexual preference flew under the radar in MMA, but she knows that wouldn't be the case if a male fighter announced he was gay.

"When [men] look at two women, it's 'lesbian action,'" she said. "That's attractive to them. Two men doesn't have that same appeal to them. Two women is just much more appealing to them, because they find it attractive."

Carmouche first felt acceptance in the gym.

"It's pretty funny, because it was obvious to all of us [that she was gay], I think," chuckled Carmouche's coach,�Manny Hernandez. [...]

"At our school we look at it like, she's an athlete," Hernandez said. "She can definitely [expletive] you up. That is something that happens. There are male fighters in the lighter weight classes who will high-tail it out of here, because they didn't sign up to get beat up by a chick. But it happens."

Carmouche (5-1) has been successful in carrying those beatings over to the Strikeforce cage. Back in March, she shocked many by pounding Strikeforce's 135-pound champion Marloes Coenen for three-plus rounds before making a silly mistake and getting caught in a triangle choke. Keep in mind, Carmouche accepted the fight on 10 days notice and has only been a pro since last May. Coenen's been a pro since 2000.

Against Kaufman on Friday, Carmouche gets a chance�to prove the Coenen fight wasn't a fluke�and more importantly break some new barriers.

Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie Ralek Gracie

Daley says his wrestling deficiency is overplayed

On Saturday night, the last thing Paul Daley wants to be doing is stare at the arena ceiling for much his fight against Tyron Woodley. In the past, he hasn't much say where the fight goes against a former college wrestler like Woodley. Daley and his wrestling Kenny Johnson say his Strikeforce bout this weekend will be different.

Johnson, a former Olympian who wrestled at Iowa, has increased his time spent with the British slugger.

"We started picking up the pace in the last few years and his wrestling has gone through the roof," Johnson said (3:50 mark). "He's really dedicated a lot of time and tried to become a mixed martial artist."

Fight fans' last memory of Daley against an elite former college wrestler was Josh Koscheck at UFC 113. Daley was taken down at will and smothered for 15 minutes. The Brit says forget that fight, Woodley isn't in Koscheck's league.

"He's not as big as Josh Koscheck. He is as athletic, but on the technical side, I don't think he can compete with Josh Koscheck," Daley told USA Today. "People are comparing this to that. People do forget in the Koscheck fight, there are takedowns that I stopped. I think that Josh Koscheck is a higher level than Tyron Woodley, so even if I'm able to stop two of his takedowns or stuff them or stall two of his takedowns back then, I think Tyron Woodley's going to have a very difficult time taking me down when I'm on form, when I'm 100%."

Daley (27-10-2) is fully dedicated to shoring up his weaknesses.

"He (Johnson) lives at my house. He eats with me. So if we're not training, we're talking about wrestling; we're looking at footage. So I think people are going to be very shocked, and I think that's an area where Tyron Woodley is underestimating me, and I think that's going to work in my benefit," said Daley.

The biggest question mark for Woodley (8-0) is his experience. He's never been in the cage with someone so seasoned.

"I'm much bigger. I'm much stronger than he thinks. I'm a lot more experienced than him. I don't think he realizes how that's going to play out in this fight," said Daley.

When talking about future opponents, Daley dropped an interesting nugget during this interview.

"There's a mystery guy. There's a mystery guy that's been signed by Strikeforce that Scott Coker's mentioned, and he said that the winner of this fight could possibly be fighting him immediately for the title. There's lots of speculation; I really have no clue, but I want to be back in a position of fighting for a title," said Daley.

Who could it be?

Todd Duffee  Marvin Eastman  Stav Crazy Bear Economou  Yves Edwards  Justin Eilers 

Strikeforce Preview: Fedor?s Future On The Line Against Henderson

The future of Fedor Emelianenko is on the line in Saturday night's "Strikeforce: Fedor vs Henderson" main event on Showtime. The former heavyweight kingpin faces Dan Henderson, the gritty Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, in a fight that will likely tell us if Fedor still has what it takes to be a competitive mixed martial artist.

This novel battle of legends is supplemented by Marloes Coenen vs. Miesha Tate, Tim Kennedy vs. Robbie Lawler, and Paul Daley vs. Tyron Woodley. Sound good? Let?s dive into the fights.

Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè 

Surf Artist - Michael Ahearne

Introducing British surf artist Michael Ahearne, inspired by the Devon coastline, his paintings are a great mix of traditional and modern techniques in oils, acrylics, watercolours and gouache. Check it out…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/michael-ahearne.php



www.surfartgallery.co.uk

Ryan Bader  Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao  Josh Barnett  David Baron 

Marquardt signs with the U.K.?s Bamma

Nate Marquardt isn't waiting around for the UFC to change its mind. The elite middleweight has decided to fight for one of the biggest international promotions, Bamma in England.

Bamma is highly successful promotion in the U.K. The next scheduled card comes in early September. That includes 185-pound title fight with Frank Trigg challenging Tom Watson. Paul Daley has been a big draw in the past as well for Bamma.

Through BAMMA P.R., Marquardt had this to say:

"Offers came in from several fight promotions, but we felt that BAMMA was definitely the best fit. They put on high-quality shows, stack their cards with top-level fighters, and sign those fighters to multi-fight deals.� They are also the only fight organization in the UK that implements PED testing," Marquardt said. "To be honest, that is one of the main reasons that we chose BAMMA. I want�to prove to my fans and to the world that I'm the real deal and that I belong on top."

Liam Fisher from Bamma jumped at the chance to sign Marquardt.

"As soon as we received word that the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission lifted Marquardt's suspension we jumped at the chance to sign him. He is a top ranked contender and an asset to any promotion. Words cannot express how excited we are that Marquardt is now fighting under the BAMMA banner," said Fisher.

Marquardt is expected to speak at length about the signing tonight on ESPN's MMA Live.

Marquardt and his management team spoke with U.S.-basedBellator, arguably the No. 1 non-Zuffa owned MMA promotion in the country, but nothing officially materialized.

Bellator was hoping to set up a fight between Marquardt and the promotion's unstoppable champion Hector Lombard. Lombard lashed out again at Marquardt on a local Miami-area radio station.

"He's getting offered more money than me, more money than anybody and he doesn't want to take the fight," Lombard told 790 the Ticket in Miami. "They offered him a one-fight deal. They didn't offer him any contract, a one-fight deal. Way more money than he was making in UFC."

It was previously thought that Marquardt may have turned down the deal because he was asked to enter a Bellator middleweight tournament and work his way up the ladder to get Lombard.

Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger 

Video analysis: Iole and Meltzer with inside scoop on how Ortiz-Evans II was made for UFC 133

Who saw this one coming? Less than two weeks ago, many folks thought Tito Ortiz would be struggling as newly retired fighter right now. Instead, he's just been booked at UFC 133 for a main event fight against Rashad Evans, the No. 1 contender in the UFC light heavyweight division. What a turnaround!

Ortiz shocked the MMA world by taking out Ryan Bader at UFC 132. The quick win� and an injury to Phil Davis, provided a crazy opportunity to fight in the main event at UFC 133. Tito turned down the offer at first, but when Lyoto Machida asked for a big payday, the UFC asked Ortiz again and he accepted.

Dave Meltzer and Kevin Iole joined Cagewriter to discuss Tito's wild ride, the impact Ortiz's insertion onto the card will have on PPV and gate sales and if Machida just buried himself when it comes to getting a title shot.

Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley 

Junior dos Santos Looking to Exploit Shane Carwin's Lack of Cardio at UFC 131 - UFC 131

Junior dos Santos Looking to Exploit Shane Carwin's Lack of Cardio at UFC 131 Video by UFC 131

Marvin Eastman  Stav Crazy Bear Economou  Yves Edwards  Justin Eilers  Jon Olav Einemo

Kaufman tears apart Carmouche?s face at Strikeforce Challengers 17

Liz Carmouche shocked the world by hanging with Strikeforce champion Marloes Coenen, but she couldn't catch Sarah Kaufman off-guard. The former champ was prepared to stuff Carmouche's takedown game and worked beautifully behind a jab on her way to an easy unanimous decision victory, 30-27 on all cards, at Strikeforce Challengers 17� in Las Vegas.

Kaufman (14-1) lost her title to Coenen last October. Now she'll wait to see what happens on the next Strikeforce card in Chicago. At the end of the month, Coenen defends her title against Miesha Tate. Unless there's a controversial decision in that one, requiring a rematch, one would think Kaufman gets the next shot to get her gold back.

"What I need to happen is Marloes Coenen to defend that title. I need to be the next fight in there," Kaufman told Showtime announcer Mauro Ranallo. "I want to take the title back, I want to avenge my loss and I hope the fans want to see that."

If she boxes the way she did tonight against Carmouche, any fight fan will enjoy Kaufman in the cage. Carmouche has only been a pro since early 2010 and it showed. Her aggression cost her throughout. She'd charge into the pocket to throw a right and leave her left hand too low. Kaufman nailed her throughout with short rights inside. The real damage was done by the volume of Kaufman jabs. By the middle of the second round, it appeared that Carmouche nose was busted. At the end of the round, there was blood splattered all over her face and shoulders.

"I feel pretty good about the win. I know Liz, even though she doesn't have a large record, is very tough, very strong. And she puts up a good fight. She's in here to fight," said Kaufman.

Kaufman was also brilliant with her takedown defense. Getting the fight off the feet was the only shot Carmouche had in the fight, but she was thwarted on all but one takedown attempt. Even in that case, Kaufman rose to her feet within 10 seconds.

Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai  Mac Danzig  Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik

Sandro and Curran advance to Bellator 145 tournament final

Marlon Sandro and Pat Curran were favorites entering the night at Bellator 47 and both came away unscathed by using solid boxing to take out their opponents. Sandro and Curran will meet for $100,000 and a world title shot at Bellator 48 in Uncasville, Ct. on Aug. 20.

Sandro, a minus-260 favorite, continued his winning ways in the U.S.. Nazareno Malegarie� xhibited a great chin in avoiding a knockout loss, but his boxing just wasn't up to par with Sandro's nasty striking game. The Brazilian rolled over Malegarie via unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three cards.

Sandro (19-2) exploded onto the world scene with three vicious first round knockouts at Sengoku 11, 12 and 13. The 34-year-old was a huge free agent signing for Bellator and immediately tabbed the tourney favorite. He backed it up tonight showing off a complete game. He thwarted every single takedown attempt by Malegarie and forced the Argentinian to stand and bang.

Malegarie (20-2) was no match on the feet. Sandro's head movement made him difficult to hit. The heavy-handed Sandro busted up Malegarie's right eye with an excellent jab. He also pounded Malegarie with left hooks following nasty uppercuts.

Curran (15-4) fought at a measured pace for 15 minutes and Ronnie Mann allowed him to do whatever he wanted. Mann (20-3) is a dangerous boxer, but he was on his horse throughout the first two rounds and did so predictably by constantly circling to his left.

Curran did most of his damage behind some solid jumping knees. The smaller Mann (5-foot-6 vs. 5-10) never found the range. Even after a tongue lashing from his trainer Shawn Tompkins before the third round, Mann failed to step on the gas in the final five minutes. Curran got the nod on the scorecards, 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27.

Bellator's featherweight champ Joe Warren was scheduled to fight on this card, but the bout was canceled when Patricio "Pitbull" Freire had to bow out with a hand injury. Warren also fights down at 135 pounds and is next scheduled to compete in the Bellator bantamweight tourney starting in September. At some point in the future Warren will have to face the Sandro-Curran winner.

Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good

UFC 133 Video: Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz Trash Talk Ahead of Aug. 6 Rematch

Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan  Dan The Sandman Christison  Logan The Pink Pounder Clark  Steve The Snake Claveau 

Tito admits lesson learned: Don?t text and drive

Tito Ortiz was doing something many of us do on a daily basis - texting while driving. The result was a smashed grill on his Rolls Royce Phantom and a momentary scare because his son Jacob was also in the car.

I learned a valuable -- or maybe I should say "expensive" -- lesson at the weekend: Don't text and drive! I was taking a day off from training and driving in my Rolls-Royce Phantom, my pride and joy, and I looked down at my phone for literally one second because I had a text -- and I crashed my Phantom," Ortiz wrote in an ESPN.com blog.

The dangerous activity is going to cost Tito $45,000:

I let my attention slip for one second ... I just couldn't believe what I'd done. The grill was totaled. The headlights were done. The hood was mangled up. It was a really, really expensive mistake. That's my dream car. It sucks. It sucks so bad. I really, literally cried. Seriously, I cried.

There will be some guys reading this going "really? Tito cried over a fender bender?" but I know other guys will understand a man's love for his vehicle. That's my pride and joy. I love that car. I worked so hard to get that car. That's a unique vehicle and I was so dumb to look at my phone.

This motivates Ortiz more than ever to duplicate his efforts at UFC 132 where pulled the upset on Ryan Bader, gained a contract extension and picked up the Submission of the Night bonus of $75,000.

Putting it another way: after tax, that's my entire "Submission of the Night" bonus from choking out Ryan Bader at UFC 132. Now I need another sub or KO or Fight of the night against Rashad Evans at UFC 133.

Tony DeSouza  Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz  Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen 

We've moved to a new address!

We're sorry (but excited) to announce that our "Surfing, Surf Art & Culture" blog has moved to Club Of The Waves! We've migrated our entire blog archive over there, so you can still find all our old posts and plenty of new ones too! Blogger has been very good to us since 2008, but it's time for us to move on…

The 'new' blog over on COTW has two options to view it in the traditional or "Classic" blog view, or the slightly different "Grid" blog view. See which you prefer…

www.clubofthewaves.com/blog/

Aloha.

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Surf Artist - Steve Pleydell-Pearce

Presenting Steve Pleydell-Pearce, a British surf artist based in the South West of England, who likes to work with fast drying oil paints to complete paintings in one session. Impressive stuff…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/steve-pleydell-pearce.php



www.stevepp.co.uk

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More changes to UFC 133, including a new trailer

With the Phil Davis/Tito Ortiz switcheroo and deletion of Rich Franklin vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira from the co-main event, the UFC had to come up with a new trailer for UFC 133. This one has plenty of Ortiz's win over Ryan Bader, but not any mention of the losing streak that came before that win. Bygones, right?

The rest of the card has also been reshuffled. An injury to Alessio Sakara has again canceled his bout with Jorge Rivera. This was the UFC's third try at making that bout happen. Instead, Rivera will face Constantinas Phillippou, who was going to fight Rafael Natal.

Paul Bradley, the fighter who was sent home from the seventh season of "The Ultimate Fighter" because of a skin infection, is getting another chance at the UFC in a bout with Natal. Bradley is on a three-fight winning streak, with all three wins coming by submission. Before that streak started, he had a no-contest due to rainfall at a King of the Cage bout. Yes, rainfall. This is why you have to support local MMA -- Mother Nature finishes fights.

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Kimbo Slice?s son is a rising high school football prospect in Florida

Kevin Ferguson always wanted to be an All-American linebacker for the University of Miami. It didn't work out for the man better known as Kimbo Slice, but he may have a second lease on life with his son Kevin Ferguson II.

Kimbo was a great football prospect in the early '90s at Palmetto H.S. in the Miami area. His football career was derailed when his house was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew.

Kevin, a 16-year-old at Booker T. Washington H.S., is the spitting image of his menacing dad (pictured below) all the way down to the trademark facial hair. He's got a big bushy beard, but doesn't have to go with the bald head like his father. Kevin II has a tall mohawk. He looks slightly older than a junior in high school.

"I get that a lot. [People ask] 'Are you 35? Let me see your birth certificate.' I'm only 16. Come on dude! I just turned 16," [Ferguson told the Orlando Sentinel in the video above].

Kevin II is one of nine kids. When his father's in town he stays with Kimbo and the rest of the time he's at Mom's. He has a close bond with his Dad, who fought professionally for both EliteXC and the UFC. Said Ferguson:

"He's a cool dad. He's more like a brother to me, but you also have to keep the respect there because he's also our father ... not just our friend."

Ferguson is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound running back with some extra pressure on his shoulders. People around Miami know Kimbo very well.

"It's a motivation. Kimbo Slice being my dad is a motivation to not be as good as him, but to be better than him. So, when dudes criticize me about who he is, that just let's me know that they know who I am, and I just go out there and try to make my presence known. I don't try to be Kimbo Slice's son, I want to be Kevin Ferguson the second."

It's still early in Ferguson's development. He was backup at Miramar H.S. last year, but still decided to roll the dice by transferring to Booker T, a Florida superpower. If he wins a starting job during his junior or senior year and puts up numbers, he's almost guaranteed a Division I scholarship. On a positive note he also sports a 3.2 GPA.

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Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos - UFC 131

Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos Video by UFC 131

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Fertitta interview Part 3: UFC owner has strong feelings on TRT, wants solutions soon

Testosterone replacement therapy may have been sports' dirty little secret, but Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt changed that with their highly publicized run ins with state commissions in California, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Those are some of the leading commissions in the country yet there's no standard policy and plenty of gray area to allow fighters to, at a minimum, enhance their performance between fights and during training camp.

The confusion over TRT really concerns UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta.

"What you can't have are guys abusing this to the point where their levels are at some super-human factor, giving them this performance enhancement," Fertitta told ESPNRadio1100's "The MMA Insiders" show in Las Vegas.

Fertitta says testing right before and after a fight isn't enough to prevent fighters from abusing TRT.

"There's got to be more random testing. It seems like, possibly, guys are getting outside the boundary while they're training and managing it down where once the week of the fight [has arrived], they take the test and they're fine. I think that there needs to be this random testing to make sure no one's abusing it," said Fertitta (1:25 mark).

For the UFC, there is no gray area concerning TRT.

"I think we came off with a pretty strong response to Nate Marquardt, and kind how we feel about TRT," Fertitta said. "Our stance is we're working with commissions to say 'look this whole thing has got to come to an end.' If you are going to have some kind of therapy, not only can you not be at the top end of the range, you can't be anywhere near performance enhancing."

Before he was due to fight in the main event at UFC on Versus 4, Marquardt failed his test in Pennsylvania. He was suspended by the Keystone State and then it came to light his TRT issues began in N.J. before UFC 128.

Marquardt didn't have a testosterone use exemption in either state and tested positive at least once. What was the penalty? He was fired by the UFC, with little hopes of a return, but he is once again free to fight in the U.S.. Once he passed a subsequent test in Pennsylvania he was cleared and will serve no suspension.

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How Couture, Lesnar, Griffin and Henderson helped one student turn his grades around

As the head of the Ohio Athletic Commission since 2004, Bernie Profato has been in close contact with some of MMA's best, and he told Cagewriter that he has always been impressed with the fighters. No episode impressed him more than when three former UFC champs all played a hand in turning his grandson's grades around.

"When Randy [Couture] was in Columbus, my grandson was having some problems in algebra, and he's a big MMA fan. I talked to Randy about it. Later, when he was in town for the WEC, he asked, 'Hey Bernie, how's your grandson?' and when you think about all the people around him, he remembered that. I said, 'Hey, he got that D to a B.' Randy says, 'Let me give him a call.' I gave him my cell phone and he left a message because he was in school.

"That night we were having dinner, and it was Randy, Brock [Lesnar] and Forrest [Griffin], and Randy asks if my grandson got the message. I said yes, and thanked Randy because my grandson really appreciated it. Brock said, 'What's that?' and I said, 'Well, he brought his D to a B.'

"'He didn't get an A?' he said, so I gave the phone to Brock, and he called my grandson and said, 'I'll come and kick your butt if you don't get that grade to an A.' Then Forrest got on the phone and said, 'Listen, Daniel, you're doing a great job, son. If�this big guy gives you any more [expletive], me and Couture will kick the hell out of him. One of us can't, but both of us can!'

"Last year, during Strikeforce, Dan Henderson called and talked to him. Do you know what that does for this kid? He went from a D in three subjects to a B+ average. That's because these guys took the time to talk to the kid and say, 'You've got to get to school and learn.'

"Because these guys are educated. You're not dealing with a bunch of dummies. You're dealing with a bunch of guys with college educations. That's what they're telling my grandson. Football is second, but an education is first. When he's hearing it from these guys, he's going out and putting his nose to the grindstone. They turned him around."

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Voelker recovers from bad start, TKOs Bowling in second

Book Bobby Voelker-Roger Bowling fights every month! What fan is going to complain? They've fought three times and each bout has been a barnburner. Friday night at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, Voelker scored a nice comeback win by landing a nasty knee in the second round that Bowling never recovered from. Voelker wobbled Bowling with a right knee, saw his opponent's legs fail him, and then finished with nine unanswered shots on the ground at 2:15 of the second round at Strikeforce Challengers 17 .

"It was pretty suspenseful," Voelker told Showtime's Mauro Ranallo. "He was winning the whole way."

Voelker's now won two straight against Bowling, but the loser has nothing to be ashamed about. Bowling outclassed Voelker (24-8) throughout the first round. He dominated the stand up with nasty legs kicks and a great left hook. He actually had Voelker on shaky legs in the final minute of the first, but didn't pour it on.

For some reason in the second, Bowling tried to wrestle and work the clinch game. At 5-foot-8, against the 6-1 Voelker, that proved to be a horrible move. With his back on the cage, Voelker got a thai clinch on Bowling's head and pulled his noggin down into that big� knee. Bowling stumbled backwards and his legs were gone.

Voelker deserves a lot of credit. Some of Bowling's shots in the first would've broken a weaker fighter. The 32-year-old said it was part of the plan against the less-experienced Bowling.

"I just knew he was coming in hard. He always does, that's the way he fights. It's just balls to the wall, ready to take your head off," Voelker said. "I knew I had to wait a little bit, weather the storm and he'd lower his hands a little bit or fade, and I'd catch him with something like I did."

Voelker's won 4-of-5 with Strikeforce and may set for a jump to Strikeforce's bigger shows. According to Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker is considering giving Voelker the winner of the Scott Smith-Tarec Saffiedine fight.

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Don?t bring Jon Jones a fake belt to sign

Jon Jones' ascent to the top of the UFC's light heavyweight division has been fast, but also filled with plenty of hard work and growth as a fighter. It has been far from easy. He's proud of that belt and even keeps it wrapped in a special case when not carrying it with him.

So you can understand why he's not wild about the fact that someone can go to Toys 'r' Us and buy a similar belt for $12.99.

I hate it when people come up to me with a belt that looks exactly like mine and they ask me to sign it. I worked three times a day for three years to get this belt, and now this guy asking me for an autograph has one just like it. Are you serious? I mean it's not as heavy, but it looks just the same.

Fair enough, Jon. He has grown close to that belt, and doesn't want to see the fakes out there. He will have to put it on the line on Sept. 24 against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Thanks to With Leather. Read the whole interview to hear what Jones will sign and Urijah Faber's thoughts on how to improve MMA.

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Paul Daley Thinks Strikeforce Is Making a Mistake Matching Him Up Against Woodley

Filed under: Strikeforce, News, Videos

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- MMA Fighting spoke to Paul Daley about his upcoming Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson fight, his recent loss to Nick Diaz, what he expects to see from Woodley, the welterweight title picture, a potential fight against Nate Marquardt in BAMMA and much more.

 

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Grove wallops Jensen and calls out Konrad at Bellator 47 opener

Zak Jensen and Neil Grove opened Bellator 47 with a bang. The heavyweights, who both reside just under the 265 pound limit, collided from the opening seconds like brahma bulls. Grove was rocked just five seconds in, but recovered to gain top control and smash out Jensen in exactly minutes in Rama, Canada.

Grove (11-3-1) showed he's tough. From the opening bell, the bulky big guys threw like wild men and Jensen clipped Grove with a right hand that dropped him. In the past, the South African fighting out of England with no formal wrestling training when he entered the sport, may have panicked and bailed mentally. With better training under his belt, Grove grabbed a leg and eventually flipped to work for a kneebar or heel hook.

Then both fighters sat up on the rear ends and wailed away at each other. Jensen couldn't keep pace and dropped back where Grove jumped into his guard. The 6-foot-6, 264 pounder got off six hammerfists and referee Yves Lavigne jumped in to save the American.

"He hit me with a couple of hard shots. I'm happy that I took them and because I've been spending so much time in America training some wrestling, I've been learning what to do when I'm on the ground. I made use of it," Grove told Bellator's Jimmy Smith. "When I was on the ground I just knew I had to let my hands go. The man can take a punch!"

Grove, 40, has been working on his grappling and ground work. It's always been the big hole is his game. It was exploited during Bellator's Season 3 Heavyweight tournament by former Div. 1 NCAA wrestling champion Cole Konrad. Konrad scored an early takedown and eventually got a first round win via keylock at Bellator 32 back in October.

"My loss against Cole Konrad is something of the past. I've been training everyday since that fight to get back into the heavyweight tournament," Grove said as he held up his fists. "And Cole you're going to say hello to goodnight and sleep tight when we meet next."

This was the ninth first round KO of Grove's brief career. The loss was the third in four fight for Jensen, a Season 10 "Ultimate Fighter" alum.

Randy The Natural Couture  Dan Cramer Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz Luke Cummo 

Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski Recorded Live Video Chat July 8th 2011 - Andrei Arlovski

Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski Recorded Live Video Chat July 8th 2011 Video by Andrei Arlovski

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Tate talks Coenen, Team Alpha Male and the future for women?s MMA

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- If Miesha Tate walks away with the Strikeforce women's bantamweight championship belt this weekend, she has Sarah Kaufmann to thank. Tate dropped a decision to Kaufmann at a Strikeforce Challengers show in 2009, and since that fight, has developed a different mindset about her fights.

"That fight taught me a lot about confidence," Tate said at an open workout before the Strikeforce bouts on Saturday night. "I doubted myself. In all my fights since then, I've learned that you have to believe in yourself 100 percent. I could be fighting Cyborg tomorrow, and I'd be 100 percent confident that I was going to beat her. I'm going to go out there and do the best I can, and lay it all out on the line, and ideally, I'll walk away with that belt."

That mindset helped her earn five straight wins and a title shot against Marloes Coenen this Saturday night. Coenen's last bout was a fourth-round submission over Liz Carmouche, after Carmouche had controlled the entire bout. Tate says that fight doesn't represent Coenen's true abilities.

"I've seen Marloes fight a lot before that and I feel like she didn't look like herself in that fight. I've seen her look better, and I can only assume that she's going to come in stronger for that fight."

But she did see a weakness that she can exploit: Coenen's lack of wrestling experience.

"She doesn't have that element developed in her game, and that's where I come from. I wrestled for four years before I started fighting. Even if she went home and trained nothing but wrestling since her last fight, you can't learn wrestling in a couple of months. I think it's going to be a struggle for her, and whenever we grab a hold of each other, I'm going to win."

To build on that wrestling background, Tate worked with a camp full of wrestlers who have made a successful transition to mixed martial arts. Her training with Urijah Faber's camp, Team Alpha Male, has prepared her mentally and physically.

"They understand that it's so much more than being physically ready. They have this great mental outlook on life and on fighting, and I think that's where most of the fight is won, in your head and your heart, before you ever get out there."

The pressure's on female fighters

Both Coenen and Tate have an extra pressure on them this weekend. Since Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce, the future of women's MMA is unknown. Though Strikeforce has long been a big supporter of female fighters, Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta have been lukewarm, saying that there isn't enough depth.

Tate is looking at her spot on the main card of a televised event as a chance to show that women's MMA does deserve a future.

"It's not exactly pressure, though. I don't feel pressure, I feel really motivated. I feel like this is our opportunity, so I want to make the most of it. I feel like there's going to be a lot of people paying attention to this, and Dana and Lorenzo and all the guys in the UFC, and Zuffa will maybe start giving women a little recognition, and actually taking notice of it and what it's all about."

With this fight, she isn't setting out to become the face of women's MMA, but she's is proud to help her sport grow.

"It's not my main goal to be the face of MMA, but I love the idea that I have the opportunity to play a huge role in women's MMA, and I'd gladly accept that responsibility. I feel like I'm a good representation of it. I work hard. I'm going to go out there and fight. I'm happy when I can get out there and voice a little bit for the women."

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Cool video: Cain meets Ronaldo before big soccer match

Cain Velasquez's standing in the world of heavyweights in MMA is debatable and so is Cristiano Ronaldo's in the world of soccer, but they're definitely in the conversation about the top performers in their respective sports. This is a cool video where they cross paths during Real Madrid's recent trip to Los Angeles.

The UFC heavyweight champ spoke to Ronaldo about the UFC and how big it's getting around the world. Dana White has always said he hopes MMA can develop a soccer-like appeal around world with fighters coming from all corners of the planet. Ronaldo has never been to an MMA fight and was unaware that UFC had begun to spread events around Europe.

For those soccer critics who question the athleticism in the sports as compared to football and basketball in the states, Ronaldo looks like a pretty big dude even though he's standing next to an MMA heavyweight.

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?Cro Cop? returns for another UFC fight against Roy Nelson

Dana White is trying to allow the legends of MMA to walk away gracefully, but some won't cooperate. After UFC 132, White said "I think that's it." We're still waiting on an answer from Silva. He did the same after UFC 128 with Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, but it looks like the former PRIDE star wants to continue to eran a few bucks.

Cro Cop wants to fight on and is owed another bout on his contract. So coming off an ugly third round knockout loss to Brendan Schaub, Cro Cop announced he'll be facing Roy Nelson at UFC 137 in October.

"I've had no contact with Dana White and have not re-negotiated with the UFC. I agreed to my next fight and that's it," Filipovic explained. "I can now exclusively confirm that I will fight my last UFC fight October 29 in Las Vegas against Roy Nelson."

Cro Cop, 36, has been battling a nasty knee injury over the last few years, but says he's good to go now.

"We will see in the next fight. I am happy that I managed to rehabilitate my injury. I received a few injections to the knee. It is an unpleasant procedure. They take your blood and separate parts of it using a a centrifuge and�then inject [the plasma rich platelets] into the knee to stimulate cartilage regeneration," Cro Cop said. "This knee was destroyed, but I managed to repair it. I felt terrible pain, and now twice a week I'm doing exercises with physiotherapy. "

Cage Potato calls this a win or go home fight for both fighters. Do you agree? Nelson's lost two straight, but against Junior dos Santos and Frank Mir.

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Working in MMA: Agent Malki Kawa talks about the business

This week, Cagewriter is taking a look at the jobs that make the MMA world go 'round. See the rest of the series here.

Today, we look at Malki Kawa, the president of First Round Management, an athlete representation agency that has on its roster of fighters UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Chris Leben, Carlos Condit and Thiago Alves, among other fighters.

Cagewriter: What is your job title?

Malki Kawa: Sometimes I'm called an agent, sometimes I'm called a manager.

CW: What's the difference?

MK: An agent's job is to put their guy in a position to capitalize on every opportunity they can, whether it's off a fight, a movie, or whatever. A manager is supposed to guide a fighter's career. I help guys reach their financial and their career goals. In the NFL, I was an agent, but in boxing and MMA, it's more manager. I like to think I'm a great manager, where I help guide their careers, and an even better agent, where I help them secure the financial and career goals.

CW: What's an average day like for you?

MK: I like to be in control and in the know, so when I wake up, I start checking everything out to see what happened overnight and catch up anything I missed. When I get to the office, I catch up on emails and create any proposals for any East Coast sponsors, or Joe Silva [the UFC matchmaker], because he's on the East Coast. At 12:00, the West Coast starts to happen.

From 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., my phone is ringing nonstop. I check in with most fighters, I look to see what's out there, and view a lot of different information. I look into what people are being paid, I compile a lot of data, I do a lot of market research. One of the reasons I've been successful in getting guys sponsorships is that I have a better handle on what's out there.

CW: Do you talk to your fighters everyday?

MK: No. I like to check in with every fighter at least once a week. If I don't have something to talk them about, I don't call them. There might be a fighter I don't talk to for a week. That doesn't mean I'm not thinking about them. It just means that there's not anything going on right then.

CW: What's a fight week like for you?

MK: We basically mirror them the entire time. If I have a fighter fighting on Saturday, I'll land with them either Tuesday or Wednesday. It's my job to make sure that everything is very comfortable and very easy for them. My week becomes a week to service the fighter. I'm there to be an extra hand for his team. That's when I take care of their shorts and their banner, and I make sure their corner knows what they have to wear. I don't really get a chance to rest until the night of the fight and their fight is done. If I have a main event guy, that's when I get to stop, unless they have an after-party, and then I make sure they get there, that they're safe and that they get paid.

CW: What's the best part of this job?

MK: The fighters themselves. Just going through the motions with the fighters everyday, and watching them grow. Like, watching Jon Bones grow from being a potential great fighter to being a champion. Watching Carlos Condit go through the ranks, and watching Thiago Alves try to make himself a little better. I also like watching when I come up with ideas that help change a fighter's life.

Look at Kenny Florian. It was my idea for him to drop to 145. Watching guys have faith in you, and then coming up with ideas of how they can get to certain places. I think that's why guys sign with me. Beside the fact that I make them money, and I am going to do the best I can for them. I think I'm intelligent, I think I know what people want and I think I know what the UFC wants, and I'm going to fight for my fighter.

CW: But no job is perfect. What's the worst part?

MK: Watching other managers who aren't good at what they do, who undercut their fighter's careers, they'll take a guy from you and mess things up, or fighters who become disrespectful. But honestly? I can't complain. I have the best job in the world. I think the traveling sucks. After a while, you want to be home with your family.

CW: What advice do you have for someone who wants to become an agent?

MK: If there's a guy or girl who wanted to get in this business, my best advice would be to set your mind to a goal of what you want your life to be at certain points. Set timelines. Let nothing stand in the way of that goal, and don't ever be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to go after what you want to get. Look around the room at my peers, and they come from all different backgrounds, but the one thing that they lack is the desire and drive I have. That's the reason I'm at the top of this game.

Follow Malki Kawa on Twitter here.

Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen