Full Contact Talk: MMA discussion

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 our website. We were equally appalled by it as Evan was a close friend of the channel, said Schwarz.“

The video which is unfortunately still available on Youtube.com was uploaded by two wannabe MMA analysts that seem to film from their parent’s basement. Known as “Tagteam Supreme,” host Justin Blank referred to his sidekick during the opening monologue as the ghost of Evan Tanner. The language and supposed humor used within the video is considered outrageous by the vast majority of the mixed-martial-arts community.

If you’d like to let Justin Blank know your feelings, he can be found at:

http://www.myspace.com/thetagteam

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 to Yahoo’s Steve Cofield and Fight Linker for first exposing two wannabes treading on incredibly thin ice. And I adamantly support free speech. But the language on this video is quite simply cruel and an example of two lonely guys attempting to get famous from a controversial video blog.

UFC 89 Michael Bisping Vs. Chris Leben Predictions

If you have problems loading the video above. It is also available below from Youtube.com

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 of EliteXC’s heavyweight division while stunningly keeping fighters like Antonio Silva on ice for the most part. Then EliteXC amazingly took Kimbo and pushed him up through the ranks by facing little to no competition yet cleverly making sure his résumé was built partially off of fighters who were previous forces within the UFC. No matter the fact that these fighters were forces a decade ago and all but washed up by the time they climbed into the cage with Mr. Slice. This is possibly the most brilliant example of record padding in modern sports. Thus I guess EliteXC deserves some sort of recognition for such an achievement.

Beyond the Kimbo Slice mirage, EliteXC does have some respectable talent in the ranks. FIghters such as Cung Le, Frank Shamrock, Nick Diaz, Antonion Silva and Robbie Lawler are respectful talent. And EliteXC’s promotion of female MMA fighters with the wildly popular and marketable Gina Carano is a smart business move surely to keep the organization finacially afloat for a while. Yet rumors of financial trouble for EliteXC simply fall right under the same diagnosis as the money disease which claimed the lives of several other MMA organizations including BodogFIGHT and the International Fight League.

When considering the rumored money woes of EliteXC and its questionable marketing practices at times, you’d think the organization would make a valiant effort at promoting its upcoming fight cards. But this does not hold true for EliteXC’s November 8th event on Showtime. EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw recently told the press to expect several title shots in November. But literally no details or confirmations have been revealed. Yet the rumors abound. And maybe rumors and speculation are simply the modus operandi for ElteXC? Consider this the polar oppostie of UFC or even Affliction marketing.

Potential Title Fights on EliteXC’s November FIght Card:

Nick Diaz vs. Eddie Alvarez (you’re guess is as good as ours)

Robbie Lawler vs. Joey Villasenor (again, you may know just as much or more than us)

And of course, the recent stripping of KJ Noons’ title by EliteXC for refusing to fight Nick Diaz has opened up the title for an upcoming event. And most analysts place Nick Diaz immediately in the upcoming title shot. It’s truly a shame that Noons and Diaz didn’t face one another again. But the fans are divided heavily over the drama that led up to the potential match. Below is a video of ELiteXC’s Jared Shaw discussing the aftermath of the post fight riot between part of the Noons family, part of the Diaz family, EliteXC staff and a rawkus hometown crowd.

Evan Tanner’s Lost Blogs

Spike.com revealed this week that recently deceased UFC star Evan Tanner wrote two blog entries before his untimely death. Here more about it here.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson versus Wanderlei Silva at UFC 93?

Everyone is talking about a rubber match between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Wanderlei Silva. Only this time instead of clashing in the PirdeFC ring, it will be inside the UFC Octagon. Of course critics rail on the fact that Wanderlei’s clinch which already destroyed Rampage twice will be even nastier against the fence walls of a cage where the referees do not step in for restarts as often.

Minutes before last’ week’s podcast, Jackson’s new trainer Kazeka Muniz told Full Contact Talk that a fight with Wanderlei was potential but nothing was official just yet. He mentioned other possible opponents to be Shogun Rua (another Chute Boxe nemesis)  and Keith Jardine. But of course Jardine has to get past Brandon Vera first in October at UFC 89. Really, none of these fights make sense for Rampage’s career at the moment. To fight either Silva or Rua is much like throwing the troubled former champ to the wolves. A loss would not be good for Rampage mentally or professionally.

However, Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports recently revealed that a reliable source told him the Rampage/Silva bout will most likely occur at the January UFC event labelled as the Superbowl of MMA. UFC President Dana White has been wanting to produce a massive UFC card the same weekend as the NFL’s big game for two solid years now. I recall the first so-called Superbowl of MMA was going to feature Randy Couture versus Fedor Emelianenko back in 2007 just after Zuffa purchased the PrideFC organization that Emelianenko still owed one contracted fight. But we all know how that went down. But UFC 93 looks promising with the almost confirmed mega-fight between UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn and UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

Rampage just might face Silva in the cage in 2009, but first he must battle and defeat his current legal troubles resulting from his recent public meltdown that resulted in a car chase with California police and a few fender benders. Jackson faces two felony charges as well as four misdemeanors.

What Affliction?

Ronato “Babalu” Sobral is heavily rumored face Bobby Southworth for the Strikeforce light heavyweight title on November 20th. But who knows? Both guys are also rumored to be injured and Babalu is also rumored to fight again for Affliction in January.

Anderson Silva Out in the Pasture?

Recent rumors of Anderson Silva calling it quits in 2009 are bogus according to Silva’s manager. Many mocked the news by saying, “Great news for Rich Franklin.” The entire rumor started when InTheGuard.tv reported the following:

Anderson Silva: “I’ll retire next year, I already gave my all. I don’t need to prove anything for anyone and within one year I’ll put my gloves aside.”

This surprising and near unbelievable news was soon followed by a report from MMAJunkie.com that stated the opposite news from Silva’s manager Ed Soares by quoting a post from Soares on The Underground website.

Ed Soares: “Anderson’s goal is to retire when he is 35,” Soares wrote of the 33-year-old fighter. “He still has six fights on his contract, and he doesn’t turn 35 for another 18 months. I know he will finish his six fights before he considers hanging up his gloves.”

All FCT can say at this point is, “Who freakin’ knows?”

Fedor DREAMing of Japan?

Well, not according to Affliction’s Tom Atencio. Fedor made big waves this week when he showed up ringside at the Dream 6 event in Japan and even delivered flowers to Mirko Cro-Cop and Alistair Overeem just before their bout on September 23. Fedor mentioned to the press his desire to fight for the Dream organization and then HDNet commentator Kenny Rice went on to mention Fedor’s return to the Japanese ring in 2008. Rumors flew that Fedor would face the winner of the Cro-Cop/Overeem fight. Yet Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio recently said:

“Fedor was supposed to fight for them on New Year’s Eve, but he is not because we extended his contract.”

So who knows? Fedor is the most mysterious fighter in MMA. He just seems to wander where he wishes and has received massive criticism for seemingly avoiding difficult fights. But Fedor did smash former UFC heavyweight Tim Silvia at the premier Affliction event in seconds leading the criticism to fade for a moment.

Oh yeah, did we forget to remind our readers to watch tonight’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter on SpikeTV? Inside information tells us it is an episode not to miss. Oh, did we let the cat out of the bag? No, of course not. But Full Contact Talk does have an upcoming interview with Ultimate FIghter contestant, Eliot Marshall. Stay tuned for the podcast episode to premier next week.

Pictured above: Full Contact Talk Panelists – Episode 6 – (left to right) Steve Headden, Jason Hatcher, David Oblas, Chris Stolzman,Clay Harvison, Chris Dellerba and Kazeka Muniz. Photo by Joeff Davis.

Full Contact Talk Episode 6 – Segment 2

Welcome to the second half of Full Contact Talk Episode 6. You may downlaod the first half of the show here in case you missed it. In this segment, local fighters from the Knuckle-Up Fight Team, Undisputed Productions Fight Promoter David Oblas and special guest Kazeka Muniz discuss Knuckle-Up’s gym expansion to the west coast of the United States. Evan Tanner is remembered as well. Kazeka reveals a past connection to Tanner during his entrance into the UFC. The panel does a recap of UFC 88 as well.

Stay tuned for the next episode containing a conversation from UFC veteran Jeff Monson as he prepares to fight Mark Kerr at Don King’s debut Vengeance MMA fight card in Concord, North Carolina on September 27, 2008.

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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 of a pay-per-view price. The fact that these fights air free is stunning. There’s potential for numerous fights of the night. Keep an eye out for the Joe Lauzon versus Kyle Bradley bout. It should be fast with lots of submission attempts. FCT is picking Lauzon as winner in the second round via submission.

The main card is extremely exciting. Nate Diaz is a talented up-and-comer and looked to be in the best physical shape of his career during the weigh-ins. People will call us crazy but FCT is picking Nate Diaz to actually win by TKO in the third round.

Houston Alexander is the hometown hero coming into tonight’s fight with two recent losses under his belt. The pressure to win on national television in front of friends and family should prove to be enough motivation for Alexander to score one of his vintage first round KOs. But Eric Schafer is certainly not an easy win. The odds are stacked against Alexander if Schafer gets him down to the ground or takes the fight into the late rounds. But regardless of Schafer’s chances, FCT is picking Houston Alexander by first round KO.

And although not many are talking the fight up between Mac Danzig and Clay Guida. It should be a war. I expect it to be one of the best fights of the night. But I think Danzig is in deep water this time around. Guida is incredibly strong and fast and just plain tenacious most times. FCT is picking Guida by TKO third round.

Ultimate Fight Night 15 in detail:

Main Card:
Josh Neer vs. Nate Diaz
Mac Danzig vs. Clay Guida
Ed Herman vs. Alan Belcher
Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer

Preliminary Bouts:
Wilson Gouveia vs. Ryan Jensen
Joe Lauzon vs. Kyle Bradley
Dan Miller vs. Rob Kimmons
Drew McFedries vs. Mike Massenzio
Jason Brilz vs. Brad Morris
Alessio Sakara vs. Joe Vedep

Live tonight on SpikeTV free!

Kudos to the UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 15 will be dedicated to Evan Tanner

UFC President Dana White will be dedicating Wednesday night’s UFN 15 on SpikeTV to recently deceased veteran, Evan Tanner. The event will air live from Omaha, Nebraska and feature a main event from hometown hero Houston Alexander as he faces Eric Schafer. An Evan Tanner tribute show will also air on SpikeTV.  White told the press that the UFC  has also put together 30 second tribute spots dedicated Tanner that will begin airing soon.

Cheick Kongo and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to join Michael Bisping at Wolf’s Lair in England

It’s official. Kongo and Rampage will travel to England for training. Rampage recently fired his former longtime trainer Juanito Ibarra just after his troubles with the police in California. Be sure to listen to Full Contact Talk Episode 6 as we had Wolf’s Lair founder Kazeka Muniz in the studio discussing his future training of both Rampage and Kongo.

MMA Bad Boy in the Pokey

UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard had pulled out of his UFC 90 bout with Spencer Fisher because he is currently in custody for cocaine possession in the Harris County jail in Houston, Texas. The arrest (not Guillard’s first) was a violation of his probation for a drug charge in 2007. Rumor is that Guillard will be released to a strict drug treatment program once a vacancy is available.

Rashad Evans will face Forrest Griffin But Not At UFC 92

Evans and Griffin are set to fight for the light heavyweight title and its official. Only problem is that the fight will not occur at UFC 92 on December 27, 2008. Word is that the title fight will occur on one of the first fight cards in 2009. Rumors are leaning towards a February date for the match.

The War Machine Currently Disassembled 

Well, this is old news. A couple of days old anyway. But hey, we have been busy recording new episodes of the podcast and interviewing fighters. T.U.F. alumnus Jon “War Machine”Koppenhaver has been dropped by the UFC. Apparently The Machine was finally bitten by its own teeth when Koppenhaver made critical comments about the UFC’s pay to fighters in an unfavorable public statement about the death of Evan Tanner. War Machine also was rumored to have turned down a fight offer from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. Koppenhaver, just barely out of recent legal problems, legally changed his name to War Machine in court following a battle for the right of the title with a professional wrestler. War Machine has published several irrate and immature diatribes on his official website that probably contributed to the UFC’s decision and certainly places the young fighter alongside recently ejected Jesse Taylor and potentially Melvin Guillard in light of his current arrest. I am almost willing to bet that all of these recent UFC rejects go knocking on the door of EliteXC. After all, EliteXC does love controversy within its brand. Heck, controversy is its brand.

Stay tuned …

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.

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 those critics of Iole are blind to the fact that the UFC is the world’s top MMA promoter and the only organization broadcasting at least one solid fight card per month. This is not even mentioning SPIKE TV’s “Ultimate Fighter,” live fight nights on SPIKE, as well as the WEC events.

On Tuesday, Iole took a a rare stab at the UFC with criticism over its response and handling of Evan Tanner’s recent death. If anything, Iole’s article proves he is no propagandist on the Las Vegas payroll.

Kevin Iole: “I feel compelled to call out the UFC for its lack of response to Evan Tanner’s death. As of 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, there was no official statement from the UFC on its Web site for its one-time middleweight champion, whose body was discovered in a mountainous area near San Diego after he went missing on a camping trip. I contacted UFC president Dana White on Monday for a response and didn’t receive an answer. Though UFC.com has a story by Thomas Gerbasi announcing Tanner’s death, there is no comment in that story from anyone connected with the UFC. When ex-light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was arrested in July, White was on a plane to Southern California within an hour of learning the news. UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta or White (or both) should have acknowledged Tanner’s death with a statement on Monday. They look very bad for having seemingly ignored the tragedy.”

The fan reaction to Iole’s statements is a mixed bag as with anything else in this sport. Some agree completely while others defend Dana White and company as busy people devoid of the time to micromanage articles on the company website. Personally, I side with Iole on this one. Not as boldly but in reasonable agreement nonetheless.

Dana White is most certainly a micromanager. That’s why the UFC is even alive these days in light of the struggles the organization endured throughout the early years. But White’s direct control of the company’s operations seem oddly vacant in this matter.

In a perfect world, the UFC would have placed a photo or video memorial along with the article by Gerbasi at the top of the main page of the website. After all, drops of Tanner’s blood, sweat and tears are part of the foundation that the highly successful UFC now stands upon in 2008.

Read Iole’s entire article here.

Welcome to the first edition of “This Week In MMA.” Each week, Full Contact Talk will filter through stories of interest within the world of mixed-martial-arts and hopefully provide our readers with everything they need to know as fans of the sport. All at a glance, of course.

A Petition For Evan Tanner

There’s now a petition circulating around the Internet which asks the UFC to induct Evan Tanner into the Hall of Fame. As covered earlier this week by FCT, veteran MMA fighter Evan Tanner died tragically while on a camping trip in the desert mountain area of Palo Verde on the border of California and Arizona. Tanner’s passing is a tremendous loss to the mixed-martial-arts community and his life story is deservingly receiving a lot of media coverage. The petition that is currently online is well into the thousands of signatures. If you’d like to sign your name and show support of the efforts to get Tanner inducted, you may find the petition here.

Mixed-Martial-Arts Meets Politics

Former UFC Fighter, Jeff Monson. No, I am not talking about Matt Linland’s political aspirations or John McCain’s coining of MMA as “Human-Cock-Fighting” all those years ago. UFC veteran and Abu Dhabi legend Jeff Monson was involved in protests at the Republican National Convention on September 1, 2008, outside of Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Monson, a highly acclaimed submission fighter, is also a very vocal anarchist. Those not aware of Monson’s background might want to hold out before deeming him as some unenlightened member of a political fringe movement. Monson has a BA degree in psychology from the University of Illinois and a master’s in psychology from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Now living and training with American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, Monson grew up in Olympia, Washington, and has long been involved in political protests. FCT could not find any reports of Monson being arrested or involved in any violent activiites but the photos in the gallery below have lit up the Internet and stirred more gossip and conclusions than a typical episode of “TMZ.”

Jeff Monson’s Official Website

UFC 88: A Shock And A Success

UFC 88 visited Atlanta for the first time on September 6, 2008, and received widespread response from fans. According to Kevin Priest of Philips Arena, the UFC 88 event was the largest single-day sporting event in the history of the venue. And it would have been the biggest-selling event period if it were not for a puffy-haired pop singer from New York City. According to UFC President Dana White during the post-fight press conference, Barbara Streisand beat out the official UFC box office for record sales at Philips. White jokingly vowed to return again to Atlanta and TKO Streisand in the future.

The UFC 88 main event also delivered a massive shock to fans around the world when heavy underdog Rashad Evans knocked out former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell in the second round. It was rumored prior to the bout that the winner of this fight would win a title shot at former Georgia resident Forrest Griffin. Dana White later confirmed during the press conference that Evans would indeed get the fight in the coming months. Ironically, after UFC 88, Forrest Griffin co-hosted an after-party for Rashad Evans at Pure nightclub in DeKalb County along with Kieth Jardine who also holds a recent win over Chuck Liddell. Although merely an ironic coincidence, Forrest was a member of Liddell’s fight team on the debut season of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter.” But I guess the irony thickens when considering that Griffin is currently a member of Xtreme Couture and coached by Randy Couture, who also holds both a win and losses to Liddell in an epic number of famous past UFC title fights. Hey, MMA is a small, small universe at times.

A massive amount of UFC 88 photos can be found at Tracy Lee’s Combat Lifestyle website, including scenes from the post-fight parties.

The MMA Grapevine

On the UrDirt website, Lyoto Machida (who is hovering closely to a UFC title shot in the future) made some interesting comments about his fight that was pulled from the UFC 89 card because of an injury to Thiago Silva as well as who he thinks will win between Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans.

“There’s no way to find and opponent now, and I’ll have to wait another event to fight. I don’t know who’ll I face, UFC didn’t say anything yet, only that I won’t fight at UFC 89.

“It’s sad because I was focused, training hard and prepared, but this kind of things happens. I changed my training now, I’m doing more Karate and working out, doing less MMA stuff.”

Lyoto Machida regarding UFC 88 and a title fight between Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans:

“I was surprised, because I believed that Chuck would win. But anything can happen and that punch was perfect. Now he’s [Liddell] in a delicate situation.”

“I believe that Griffin has a better game to beat Rashad. No demerit for Rashad, he’s a great fighter, but I think that Griffin has a better MMA game to win this fight.”

MMA Leftovers

In other recent news, reports have it that Karo Parisyan injured his back while grappling with Rashad Evans the day before the UFC 88 event. Karo was pulled from the UFC 88 card leaving Yoshiyuki Yoshida without a fight. Unfortunately, a large collection of Japanese media flew to Atlanta exclusively to cover Yoshida. Karo’s return to the cage and Yoshida’s next opponent are not yet known.

And of course we’re flogging a dead horse at this point, but what weekly MMA report would be thorough without at least mentioning Randy Couture’s return to the UFC and the end of his long legal battle with the company. Couture now brings his heavyweight title back to life, leaving Antonio Nogueira’s interim belt apparently as nothing more than a souvenir. Fans were split with a heavy tilt toward outrage when it was quickly announced that Couture would face former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar for the title at UFC 91. Lesnar, with only three professional MMA bouts to his credit, sparked criticism from many fans who cited that the winner between Frank Mir and Antonio Nogueira better deserved the shot at the UFC heavyweight title.

And speaking of Mir and Nogueira, the two veteran fighters launch the eighth season of SPIKE TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter” as team coaches on September 17 along with a night of fights at Ultimate Fight Night 15 live in Omaha, Nebraska. More to come on the new season of TUF and UFN 15 this week from Full Contact Talk.

Stay tuned!

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 the desert mountains on the Arizona border where temperatures regularly reach 115 degrees and had not been heard from since September 3.

The photograph and epitaph below was taken from Evan Tanner’s official website.

Evan Tanner’s mixed-martial-arts career stretches back deep into 1997 when he defeated fellow Texan and current UFC heavyweight Heath Herring at Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 7, as well as former UFC legend Paul Buentello at USWF 4. Tanner claimed to have learned mixed-martial-arts from instructional videos and entered the UFC in 1999. Tanner defeated Darrel Gholar by submission at UFC 18.

Tanner continued fighting for USWF as well as Pancrase before finally getting a title shot against Tito Ortiz at UFC 30. Tanner lost to Ortiz but then went for a seven-win streak before dropping to middleweight and claiming the vacant UFC middleweight title by defeating David Terrell in 2005. Tanner only held the belt for one fight before losing to Rich Franklin at UFC 53.

After his loss to Franklin, Tanner went on an extended break from fighting where he began authoring a popular blog that revealed the most intimate details of his personal life. Tanner had previous battles with alcohol but got back into shape in 2007 for a return to the UFC cage. He lost two straight fights to Yushin Okami and Kendall Grove.

In a recent blog post for Spike.com, Tanner revealed plans to his fans that he was going to take a spiritual journey into the California desert.

“I’ve been gathering my gear for this adventure for over a month, not a long time by most standards, but far too long for my impatient nature. I plan on going so deep into the desert that any failure of my equipment could cost me my life.”

Full Contact Talk extends our deepest condolences to all of Evan Tanner’s family, friends and fans. He was a true warrior and one of the rare fighters to maintain an exciting fight career through the dark ages of MMA into the present day.

Evan Tanner’s official website: evantanner.net

A perspective from the Ultimate Fighting Championship : ufc.com

Additional Information from SPIKE TV and Tanner’s Blog: spike.com

Below are images of Evan Tanner fighting Yushin Okami at UFC 82. Photographs by Josh Hedges. All photos Copyright Zuffa, LLC. For editorial use only.