Full Contact Talk: MMA discussion

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 without the cover charge.

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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Welcome to episode 6, segment 1 of Full Contact Talk. In this episode, local fighters from the Knuckle-Up Fight Team, Undisputed Productions Fight Promoter David Oblas and special guest Kazeka Muniz (in town from Los Angeles, California) discuss upcoming Atlanta fight events including the Wild Bill’s fight night on Friday, September 19 featuring UFC fighter and T.U.F. alumnus, Jesse Forbes.

In this episode, Kazeka Muniz discusses his founding of Wolf’s Lair gym in Liverpool, England as well as his current training of UFC fighters Michael Bisping, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Cheick Kongo.  Kazeka Muniz and Steve Headden also talk about their previous services in the Navy Seals and Green Berets. Other topics include up-and-comers from the Atlanta fight scene destined for professional careers and shots at the UFC.

Stay tuned for additional segments from Episode 6 featuring more discussion with the local panel as well as 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.

(All photos by Joeff Davis)

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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 …