Full Contact Talk: MMA discussion » News

Headlining Wild Bill’s Fight Night, Darrell Parodi battles for MMA, the Marine Corp and The Tots

Jason Hatcher — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:21:16 +0000

Darrell Parodi (1-0) is not your typical fighter. Sure, he’s got tattoos and even a strong physique, but there’s a hidden stream of inner courage masked behind his contrasting personality of friendliness and polite demeanor. When approached and spoken to, the young active duty Marine is collected and respectful almost to the point where thoughts of [...]

Wild Bill’s Fight Night 17 – A Fight For Charity

Jason Hatcher — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 04:46:06 +0000

Wild Bill’s Fight Night returns December 19. The night of professional and amatuer fights is a “Fight for Charity” where entrance to the event is being paid for in toys. Fight promoter David Oblas arranged the event along with the Marine Corps’ “Toys for Tots” charity to make it difference for children this year as well [...]

UFC 91: Clash Of The Titans?

Jason Hatcher — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:21:07 +0000

UFC president Dana White has pitched UFC 91 as the biggest potential pay-per-view sale in the company’s history. But the event doesn’t come without a bit of controversy and criticism. For one, former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar is getting a title shot tonight with only a one and one record in the UFC and two [...]

Mixed Martial Arts In Atlanta This Weekend

Jason Hatcher — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:02:36 +0000

Fight Night returns this Saturday at Wild Bill’s in Duluth with a stacked card featuring UFC veteran Junior Assuncao and The Ultimate Fighter star Cale Yarbough. Also on the card is local up-and-comer Jeff Boudreaux. This is one of the most stacked cards in many years at Wild Bill’s. 18 and up, doors at 7 p.m. [...]

The Curtains Close on EliteXC

Jason Hatcher — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:45:27 +0000

Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated reports that after barely two years of existence ProElite, Inc., notified employees and fighters Monday it was closing down shop effective immediately. EliteXC was the face of the company that also included other promotions such as King of the Cage and Rumble on the Rock. But record financial losses seem to [...]

Get Famous Probably Getting Beaten by Fedor Emelianenko

Jason Hatcher — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:28:35 +0000

Donald Trump will reveal on Thursday details for “Fighting Fedor,” a reality show starring the number one ranked heavyweight MMA fighter in the world, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko. “Fighting Fedor” will cast 16 heavyweight fighters from around the world in a reality show similar to that of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter.” Filmed in St. Petersburg, [...]

The Fight World at a Glance: EliteXC Edition (October 11, 2008)

Jason Hatcher — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:32:15 +0000

What a week it has been. And unfortunately this week belongs almost exclusively to EliteXC. Why? Well, let’s just say that things smell more than fishy over at EliteXC in light of controversial statements and events following last weeks “Heat” event in Florida. The world is still rumbling over the devastation of EliteXC star, Kimbo [...]

EliteXC’s Man in Charge Scrambling to Save Face

Jason Hatcher — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:48:22 +0000

MMARated.com today reveals some very interesting words from EliteXC’s Jared Shaw following his very public outburst during the Kimbo Slice knockout on Saturday night. Shaw received critcism for showing public favoritism towards Kimbo as the brawler was defeated live on CBS by Seth Petruzelli. There were further reports that Shaw immediately began protesting the loss [...]

FCT – Episode 7: A Conversation with The Ultimate Fighter’s Eliot Marshall

Jason Hatcher — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:50:32 +0000

Welcome to episode 7 of Full Contact Talk. In this episode we talk to Eliot “The Fire” Marshall. A cast member of Spike TV’s The Ultimate Fighter Season 8, Marshall lost a controversial decision to Karen Grigoryan that resulted in protests by UFC President Dana White and T.U.F. coaches Frank Mir and Antonio Nogueira. Episode 2 [...]

And the Kimbo Slice Hype-Machine Gets Smashed

Jason Hatcher — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:31:25 +0000

Seth Petruzelli just showed the world (or that part of the world that believed the EliteXC hype) that Kimbo Slice is not the new face of mixed-martial-arts. I am left with one big question. One has to wonder whether ESPN Magazine now regrets putting Slice on its cover? Certainly it was undeserving and premature. But it [...]

Ken Shamrock Out of the EliteXC Fight With Kimbo Tonight?

Jason Hatcher — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:55:07 +0000

During the past two hours rumors have been flying wildly across the web regarding a last-minute injury to Ken Shamrock resulting in the veteran Shamrock being pulled from the CBS event tonight. FCT decided to hold out a while and wait for confirmations. But now barely two hours before the EliteXC event, we must report [...]

And The Rumor Mill Continues to Spin

Jason Hatcher — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 21:34:42 +0000

(Pictured Above) An unlabeled photo used by the Houston Chronicle showing Randy Couture with a broken arm following his 2007 fight with Gabriel Gonzaga. COUTURE AND LESNAR INJURIES RUMORED TO BE RUMORS WITHIN A CYCLE OF RECENT RUMORS Rumors. Yes indeed, rumors. Rumors continue to abound. Several rumors have circulated the web claiming that both Randy Couture [...]

The Fight World at a Glance (October 3, 2008)

Jason Hatcher — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:00:43 +0000

Have you missed us? Hey, everyone needs a few days of vacation from time to time. Welcome to yet another edition of Full Contact Talk’s weekly MMA summary. EliteXC Poised for Potentially Big Television Ratings Jared Shaw of EliteXC is seemingly celebrating the success of this weekend’s third network television installment of MMA on CBS far before the [...]

Want Some Sengoku 5?

Jason Hatcher — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:28:53 +0000

Sengoku 5: A Respectable Night of Fights World Victory Road presented it’s fifth production on September 28, 2008 t the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. The official results: Middleweight Grand Prix Series 1: Yuki Sasaki defeats Yuki Kondo via submission (rear naked choke – Round 2) Siyar Bahadurzada defeats Evangelista Santos via TKO (injury – Round 1) Jorge Santiago defeats [...]

Brock Lesnar Injured and Out of UFC 91?

Jason Hatcher — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:24:27 +0000

MMABay’s Michael Pepper reports that Brock Lesnar injured a hamstring during training and will not be able to face Randy Couture at UFC 91 on November 15. There is currently no official word from the UFC but if Pepper’s report proves true this will be a massive blow to the UFC 91 fight card which [...]

Controversial Video Yanked from Spike.com!

Jason Hatcher — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:14:06 +0000

Full Contact Talk just spoke with David I. Schwarz (Vice President of Communications for Spike) regarding the controversial video that was uploaded to Spike.com mocking the death of UFC fighter Evan Tanner. Spike immediately yanked the video from its website once it was viewed internally. “When the video caught our attention, it was immediately removed from [...]

Two Wannabe MMA Commentators Mock Evan Tanner’s Death

Jason Hatcher — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:54:56 +0000

The following video is simply unacceptable on so many levels that I am experiencing difficulty even finishing this post. I had trouble making the decision of posting this horrific video. At first I thought by posting it, I was giving it exposure. But then I thought that my readers might like to get involved. Props [...]

The Fight World at a Glance (September 25, 2008)

Jason Hatcher — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:49:05 +0000

He Said, She Said: Barnett Claims No Ducking, Affliction Insinuates Otherwise MMARated.com reported yesterday that Affliction originally intended for the resheduled fight between Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett to take place during a co-promoted event with EliteXC during its October 4 primtime fight night on CBS. The web lit up with conclusions and criticism far and [...]

And the Direct-to-DVD Oscar goes to …

Jason Hatcher — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:48:16 +0000

Well, only in Rich Franklin’s dreams. But hey, it’s a start. And at least Franklin made some extra money. So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen meet the “Cyborg Soldier.” A cybernetic humanoid who really knows how to fight in real life and can also challenge Randy Couture to a B-Movie brawl. The official Movie Description “I.S.A.A.C. [...]

Arlovski and Nelson to Fight on Oct. 4 on CBS for EliteXC?

Jason Hatcher — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 01:35:55 +0000

Sherdog.com as well as several other MMA sites are currently reporting inside news that former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and IFl standout Roy Nelson have agreed to fight on the upcoming Oct. 4th EliteXC fight card on CBS. If so, this would be a tremendous boost to EliteXC’s television ratings and credibility. MMARated.com actually reported [...]

The Fight World at a Glance (September 24, 2008)

Jason Hatcher — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:58:15 +0000

Potential Title FIghts Scheduled for EliteXC on November 8, 2008 … Um, Maybe … EliteXC is an amazing MMA organization on a number of levels. For starts, EliteXC created a whirlwind of media attention by signing a backyard brawler in that of Kimbo Slice and then the struggling MMA promotion molded this streetfighter into the face [...]

UFC and SpikeTV Deliver Three Weekends of MMA in October

Jason Hatcher — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:14:22 +0000

SpikeTV and the UFC deliver three solid weekends of free MMA in October climaxing with UFC 89 from London, England featuring a main event between Michael Bisping and Chris Leben. Although the two weekends leading up to the UFC 89 event are reruns, they offer new fans an opportunity to experience a UFC pay-per-view event [...]

Cro-Cop’s Kryptonite – Illegal Groin Shots From Tall Heavyweights

Jason Hatcher — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:52:16 +0000

Mirko “Cro-Cop” Filipović’s return to the Japanese fight world at Dream 6 on September 23 was not a triumphant affair. In fact, neither Cro-Cop or his opponent looked like veterans of mixed-martial-arts. Rather, the heavily anticipated grudge match between the Croatia’s Cro-Cop and the Netherlands’ Alistair Overeem played out like a clumsy wrestling match interrupted [...]

Yahoo’s Maggie Hendricks versus Gina Carano

Jason Hatcher — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:38:18 +0000

It is my humble opinion that Yahoo Sports is one of the few mainstream sports departments that understands mixed-martial-arts. And they have understood and respected the sport for a while now. Kevin Iole often writes articles that are on the mark and beyond the stale opinions of some aging boxing writer trying to make the [...]

Dream Time – Mirko CroCop and Alistair Overeem Finally Clash at Dream 6 in Japan on September 23, 2008

Jason Hatcher — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:02:26 +0000

The war of words between PrideFC veterans, Mirko “Cro-Cop” Filipović and Alistair Overeem is hotter than any smack talk the average fight promoter could ever dream up. Probably because the words tossed around between Cro-Cop and Overeem are deeply passionate and serious. Cro-Cop is provoked and heated to say the least. In recent weeks Overeem [...]

Post Fight Interview With Dave Mewborn at Wild Bill’s Fight Night 14

Jason Hatcher — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:38:56 +0000

Full Contact Talk attended Fight Night 14 at Wild Bill’s in Duluth and caught up to Hardcore Gym fighter Dave Mewborn after his second round victory over Todd Carney. FCT also talked to UFC fighter, Ultimate Fighter 7 cast member and Hardcore Gym fighter, Cale Yarbrough.

Fight Night 14 Tonight at Wild Bill’s in Duluth!

Jason Hatcher — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:36:31 +0000

For those unfamiliar with the local MMA scene in Atlanta, the massive Wild Bill’s entertainment complex located just outside downtown in Duluth on Interstate 85 hosts sanctioned MMA events nearly every month. Produced by David Oblas’ Undisputed Productions, the “Wild Bill’s Fight Nights” offer the top in MMA competition as well as occasional Muay Thai [...]

The Ultimate Fighter Season 8 – Premiers Tonight!

Jason Hatcher — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:01:36 +0000

This season of SpikeTV’s The Ultimate Fighter brings two legends of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into the cast as team coaches. Both former UFC champion Frank Mir and PrideFC legend Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira are considered two of the top submission fighters in mixed-martial-arts. Previews of this season look as dramatic as ever. Meet the Cast … Visit The Official [...]

Tonight, The UFC Delivers (and its free!)

Jason Hatcher — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:29:37 +0000

Wednesday, September 17 crashes into living rooms around the world as much more than just a hump day. SpikeTV broadcasts UFC Fight Night 15 live from Omaha, Nebraska beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern time followed the premiere episode of the acclaimed reality series, “The Ultimate Fighter,” Season 8. UFN 15 is a stacked fight card worthy [...]

“Hits and Chicks” EliteXC Promo Video Yanked From Youtube.com

Jason Hatcher — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:47:16 +0000

Earlier this week Full Contact Talk reported on the sleazy EliteXC promo video also known as “Hits and Chicks” that was created by the marketing department at Showtime Sports to promote the upcoming fight between Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice on October 4. This unfortunate video, focusing mainly on the anatomy of women, Kimbo Slice [...]

EliteXC Marketing – Delivers MMA to the Gutter Yet Again

Jason Hatcher — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:10:25 +0000

EliteXC and Showtime just released a viral marketing video that is viral on more negative levels than just clever spam. As I have written many times in the past, professional mixed-martial-arts is a sport and its athletes are some of the most hard-working men and women in the world. These athletes deserve promotion and marketing [...]

UFC Action Figure Hoax Stirring Controversy

Jason Hatcher — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:48:48 +0000

I am as old as dirt I guess. Well, maybe not dirt just yet. But certainly older than I like to honestly admit these days. If you remember watching “Land of the Lost” on Saturday mornings or those miniature auto tags that came in boxes of Honeycomb cereal, chances are you also waited impatiently for [...]

Don King Makes His MMA Debut With Vengeance Fighting Championship in Concord, NC

Jason Hatcher — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:43:30 +0000

It has been rumored for a while that veteran boxing promoter Don King was interested in entering the mixed-martial-arts business. Some would say such a move is necessary with talk of professional boxing’s decline in national popularity and shrinking pay-per-view sales. But of course the MMA-verus-boxing debate is a fiery topic and the verdict is [...]

MMA on the Tube Today – SPIKE TV’s Ultimate Fighter Marathon

Jason Hatcher — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:54:11 +0000

Beginning this morning at 9:00 a.m. eastern time, SPIKE TV will dedicate a full day of broadcasting to the first season of “The Ulitmate Fighter” reality show leading up the the famous finale that not only launched current light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin into the spotlight but propelled the UFC into the successful empire it [...]

Affliction – Day Of Rescheduling?

Jason Hatcher — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 06:46:59 +0000

The second Affliction event scheduled for October 11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, has been cancelled. The main event between Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski was poised to toss the victor at current WAMMA champion, Fedor Emelianenko. But now Fedor’s next opponent is as big a mystery as that of Afflictions [...]

Frank Shamrock Once Again On Ken and Kimbo

Jason Hatcher — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 05:28:57 +0000

Frank Shamrock cites the takedown, wrestling skills, ground-and-pound and submissions as the key to crushing Kimbo Slice. And I totally agree. But when’s the last time Ken Shamrock has shown dominance in these areas? He’s lost five fights in a row. The last coming by way of early knockout. The odds are stacked extremely high [...]

Evan Tanner: A Touching Perspective

Jason Hatcher — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:40:21 +0000

Following is interview footage with Evan Tanner by Las Vegas filmmakers Aaron and Livia Mello-Fisher. Aaron and Livia produced the recent “Potent MMA” mixed-martial-arts documentary. The videos here of Evan Tanner are at moments touching and I believe reveal a sensitive and introspective man behind the shield of a warrior. [kml_flashembed [...]

Call It Kenbo – Frank Shamrock Not Necessarily Towing The Company Line (wink)

Jason Hatcher — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:47:10 +0000

Most MMA fans are fully aware of the rocky relationship between the Shamrock brothers. And in most cases family loyalty general prevails over strangers. But on the following fight prediction video for the upcoming October 4 EliteXC card on CBS, Frank pulls no punches on his brother Ken’s chances against Kimbo Slice. It’s truly a [...]

How is the UFC connected to the 1992 Los Angeles Riots?

Jason Hatcher — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:20:19 +0000

Well, it’s not what you’re probably thinking. No, the UFC did not participate or encourage the riots following the Rodney King verdict in 1992. Heck, the UFC hadn’t even produced its first televised show at that point. But a video surfaced on YouTube.com that shows retired veteran UFC referee John McCarthy when he was [...]

Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole Criticizes UFC’s Response To Tanner’s Death

Jason Hatcher — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:07:22 +0000

Kevin Iole is one of the few mainstream sports writers who has been writing insightful articles about mixed-martial-arts for quite some time. And in recent months Iole has been criticized by a small percentage of readers as a mouthpiece for the UFC due to his heavy coverage of the MMA organization. One can only guess that [...]

In Memoriam: MMA Veteran Evan Tanner Dies At Age 37

Jason Hatcher — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:23:20 +0000

It is truly a sad day within the mixed-martial-arts community as news spreads that MMA veteran and UFC fighter Evan Tanner has been found dead by sheriff’s deputies in the Palo Verde mountain area of California. The cause of Tanner’s death is not yet known. According to friends of Tanner, he’d taken a trip into [...]

Chuck Liddell – Still A Champion To Many Fans Even In Defeat

Jason Hatcher — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:30:53 +0000

My previous article about the uncertainty of Chuck Liddell’s career set my inbox on fire. Rather than comments online, I have received numerous private messages regarding the devastating knockout of Liddell on Saturday night at UFC 88. I wasn’t flogged with any sort of criticism but rather a need for others to express their disbelief [...]

Post UFC 88 Fallout – One Career Injured, Two Careers Healed

Jason Hatcher — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:08:14 +0000

UFC 88 in many minds was a house-cleaning of sorts. The light heavyweight division in particular is so deep that the contention picture hasn’t been exactly clear in recent months. And the marketing challenge for the UFC in such a competitive division is quite possibly an even harder task to manage than the complexity of [...]

Live Coverage From UFC 88

Jason Hatcher — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:16:34 +0000

Full Contact Talk is cage-side for UFC 88. Here’s the results as they happen. Undercard Bouts: Fight 1 – Roan Carneiro vs. Ryo Chonan: Ryo Chonan wins by split decision. Chonan carries a lot of strength in a small package. Fight 2 – Jason Lambert vs. Jason MacDonald: Jason MacDonald wins in the second round by submission [...]

UFC 88 Preview – FCT Breaks Down Saturday Night’s Breakthrough

Jason Hatcher — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:56:31 +0000

UFC 88 – Breakthrough There’s criticism flying around in some circles that Atlanta’s first UFC event is a bit lackluster. I have witnessed some say that the card is merely a collection of former champions tossed out into the economy as nothing more than an event to keep fans occupied until the return of Randy Couture [...]

Karo Parisyan Injured – Will Not Fight At UFC 88

Jason Hatcher — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:56:46 +0000

Karo “The Heat” Parisyan was injured and the UFC reports that he will have to pull out of his fight against Yoshiyuki Yoshida on September 6 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The injury came so late that there was not enough time to find a replacement for Parisyan to keep a Saturday night fight [...]

Former UFC Champ, Rich Franklin, Responds to Full Contact Talk

Jason Hatcher — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:51:22 +0000

Rich Franklin, on the verge of his battle with fellow Ohioan and personal friend, Matt Hamill, responds to a question from Full Contact Talk during the pre-fight press conference for UFC 88. UFC 88 is a stacked fight card which is now receiving massive fan response. Just a day away, the event this Saturday at Philips [...]

MMA history: A CliffsNotes version

Jason Hatcher — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:38:48 +0000

It would require possibly 10 separate blog posts to fully explain the long and complex history of Mixed Martial Arts. But consider this a crash course for the curious interested in learning about the sport’s past in a quick, convenient summary. For those not in the know, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is an acronym for a [...]

UFC in Atlanta: A primer on mixed-martial-arts

Jason Hatcher — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:37:18 +0000

Mixed-Martial-Arts is a sport. Yeah, you read it right. It’s a sport. Heck, it’s even a vastly popular sport. And it’s coming to Atlanta via Phillips Arena on September 6th by way of UFC 88 — which will be one of the organizations major pay per view events this year. For a large number of [...]