Josh Burkman commented about his recent loss to Mike “Quick” Swick. Burkman lost a majority decision to Swick at Ultimate Fight Night 12 last Wednesday night. Burkman had some harsh words about his opponent and brought up several strong points regarding the decision of the fight.

First I wanna thank you guys for your support, I got alot of great messages and tons of support. Thank you!

I’m not gonna look back on the fight and be upset about the decision because there is nothing that I can do about it. I could have done more and I Will learn from it.

Thoughts on the fight… I was ready for a war and so was Swick. I saw it in his eyes at the press conference, weigh-ins and the stare-down I thought it would be a war!.. But when the fight started Swick realized he was not the better fighter… he was in there with a better fighter than he prepared for. Half way through the first round that look he had was gone and he wanted out!… He wasn’t in there to fight after the first round, i took it from him and we both know it… He’s still trying to figure out what happened, but sometimes you forget things when you’re scared!…After the first he knew I was there to fight and He wanted no part of it!… When I would get ahold of him he would just hold on cause he felt safe there… I probably should have backed of the takedowns and clinch but I felt i was in control of the fight and that it was obvious. 2 criteria’s for judging are aggressiveness and octogon control… When did you start getting as point for good defense!… I stood in the center most of the second round just to prove a point… Maybe it would have been better received if i would have called him on, but that’s not my style… I felt if he didn’t want to fight I could atleast throw some kicks and some other crazy stuff to show I was there to fight or maybe it would get him to engage… I guess I was wrong.

I apologize for a boring fight, I learned alot from it and I will be back better and smarter as a fighter.

thanks,
JBurk
“People’s Warrior”

You really can’t blame Burkman for feeling robbed by the judges. Burkman pushed the pace the entire fight and was constantly going for the take down. Swick did an excellent job defending the take downs, but rarely pressed the action standing up. Both fighters were reluctant to let their hands go, so based on the logic that aggressiveness and octagon control will contribute towards points on the judges score cards, it seems a little inaccurate that Swick would win this decision.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell will be signing copies of his book “Iceman: My Fighting Life” in New York and New Jersey over the next few days.

Chuck was on the Opie and Anthony show this morning. Opie, Anthony, Jim Norton, and comedian Bob Kelly had a blast with Liddell. 

They talked about Chuck’s recent win over Wanderlei Silva, pro wrestlers transitioning into MMA, and plugged his book signings in the area.

Book signing info:

1/29/08 1:00 PM

BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC- WALL STREET

#566
100 Broadway
New York, NY 10019

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1/29/08 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EST

BOOKENDS
232 East Ridgewood Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Store: 201.445.0726

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1/30/08 6:30 PM

VIRGIN MEGASTORE-TIMES SQUARE
1540 Broadway
bet. 45th and 46th
New York, NY




Here is a description of the book from amazon.com

“When I walk out of the tunnel, I can see the lights, hear the music, feel the crowd, but it all begins to close off as I near the cage. By that point I’m thinking, I’ve been training hard, it’s time to focus….Every man is born with a fight-or-flight instinct, and mine is to fight. It always has been.” —From the Prologue

What’s it like to have no fear, to make people cower in their shoes, to know the sweet satisfaction of knocking a guy out with a single, devastating punch? You have to read my book to find out. I’ve been called the baddest man on the planet. I’m the face of Ultimate Fighting Championship, the leader in mixed martial arts and the fastest growing sport in America. In 1998 I won my first MMA fight. Not long after, the UFC came calling, and eventually fought my way to become the #1 ranked light-heavyweight contender in the world. Not bad for a bartender with a college degree in accounting.

I was raised by a single mother and inspired by my grandfather, a first-generation Irish American from Mafia-run Brooklyn. I learned how to fight at a very young age. Now I’m 6’2”, 220 pounds, and a trained lethal weapon, but I’m also fiercely loyal, maybe even a bit sensitive, and unexpectedly romantic. In raw detail, and with total honesty, I’m going to tell you the story of my fighting life—both inside and outside the Octagon—including my childhood in the poor section of Santa Barbara, gritty insider accounts of my major fights, stories behind my trademark mohawk and nickname, my ongoing rivalry with Tito Ortiz and deep-rooted friendship with Dana White, and how I balance life as a father, a UFC champ, and a superstar—or try to, anyway. With never-before-seen photos, Iceman is my true, no-holds-barred story of fighting my way to become a champion.

Sanctioned MMA fights are still illegal in NY. Boo. Fortunately, Muay Thai and kickboxing competitions are completely legal.

I train at Tiger Schulmann’s school of mixed martial arts. Some of our guys will be competing Friday night at an event in Manhattan called Combat at the Capitale.

The Combat of the Capitale fights are put together by Louis Neglia and Ray Longo. Ray Longo is the striking coach for the current UFC welterweight champion , Matt Serra. He was also a coach for the hit reality series The Ultimate Fighter: Season 6.

Here is what TSK MMA has to say:

Team Tiger Schulmann will again be storming the Capitale in downtown Manhattan for a night of Muay Thai action Friday, January 25th. Presented by World Kickboxing Champion Louis Neglia and by Ray Longo, Friday night’s winter installment of “Combat at the Capitale” will feature five Team TS fighters.

Ramsey’s Jimmie Rivera will be giving all attendees something to look forward to as he squares off against Eric Perez. Rivera rolls into Friday’s match, coming off two straight wins at the Capitale, as well as an undefeated record in both kickboxing and MMA.

Yonker’s own Louis Gaudinot will be meeting Tom Desmond. Gaudinot will also be looking to keep his winning streak alive as he has momentum from his previous Muay Thai win at the Capitale.

Following his impressive MMA debut at New Breed Fighters, Julio Arce of Bayside will be looking to make a dominating Kickboxing debut in his match against Richard Callado.

Team TS rising star Jose Villanueva of Middletown will be touching gloves with Keith Morris.

Nationally ranked grappler Stephen Regman of Watchung will be taking on James “B52” Smith Jr.

“Combat at the Capitale” will be held this Friday, January 25th, live from the Capitale at 130 Bowery in NYC. Be sure to come out to the Capitale in downtown Manhattan to support our Team TS fighters. Doors open at 7:00 PM with the action starting promptly at 8:00 PM.

For more information on the venue, including directions and contact information, please visit the Capitale’s official website by clicking here.

General admission tickets are still available for $35.00 and can be purchased at the door the day of the event.

Just got this press release from ShoXC:

NEW YORK (Jan. 22, 2008) – Legendary mixed martial arts pioneer Frank Shamrock will serve as guest commentator during Friday’s 2008 premiere of ShoXC: EliteXC Challenger Series on SHOWTIME (Jan. 25 at 11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

Shamrock, who is training for his much anticipated EliteXC fight with Cung Le (Saturday, March 29, on SHOWTIME) will take time away from training to join renowned play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo and “Fight Professor” Stephen Quadros for the five-fight ShoXC telecast from Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City Hotel & Casino.

“Frank Shamrock is one of the most colorful and dynamic personalities in the sport,” said Ken Hershman, senior vice president and general manager, Sports & Event Programming, SHOWTIME. “He will add his special blend of experience and charisma to the fight call on Friday and provide his unique brand of insight to his impending match-up with Cung Le, which will be another incredible night for MMA.”

Friday’s ShoXC telecast will be highlighted by a terrific match up featuring popular Philadelphia phenom Eddie Alvarez and tough, determined Hawaiian Ross Ebanez.

“This is an exciting card and I’m glad to be part of it working with Mauro and Stephen,” Shamrock said. “I’d rather be fighting, but I also love to talk and call fights so this is one of the next best things. I can talk the talk, and I’ll definitely be walking the walk March 29.

“Cung Le is a good fighter, but he’s not good enough (to defeat me.).’’

Besides the Alvarez-Ebanez fight at 165 pounds on Friday, other televised bouts at include: Paul “Semtex’’ Daley, of England, vs. Sam Morgan, of St. Paul, Minn., in a 170-pound scrap; Bobby McMaster, of Boston, Mass., vs. Bao Quach, of Huntington Beach, Calif., at 150; Kala Kolohe Hose, of Waiane, Hawaii, vs. Fred Belleton, of Stoughton, Mass., at 185; and Julie Kedzie, of Albuquerque, N.M., by way of Greenwood, Ind., vs. Tonya Evinger, of Reno, Nev., by way of Oak Grove, Mo., at 140.

Main Card Bouts:
-Paul Daley vs. Sam Morgan
-Eddie Alvarez vs. Ross Ebanez
-Julie Kedzie vs. Tonya Evinger
-Bobby McMaster vs. Bao Quach
-Kala Kolohe Hose vs. Fred Belleton

Preliminary Bouts:
-Wilson Reis vs. Zach Makovsky
-Sergio Vinagre vs. Brett Linebarger
-Matt Makowski vs. Joe Shilling
-James “Binky” Jones vs. Mark Getto
-Charlie Brenneman vs. Drew Puzon

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz was a guest on Sirius’ Fight Network Radio on Monday and confirmed he will face undefeated Lyoto Machida at a UFC event on Saturday, May 24 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The bout is the last on his current contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. At this time, the UFC and Ortiz have not come to terms on a new contract; this could leave Ortiz as one of the highest profile free agents in a vibrantly blossoming mixed martial arts market.

Ortiz expressed some displeasure in fighting the undefeated Lyoto Machida:

“I was expecting a bigger fight. I think the fans were expecting a bigger fight,” said Ortiz. “I got pressed into it, and all of a sudden, it’s all over the Internet that Tito Ortiz won’t fight Machida. I’m just looking to get my final fight over with the UFC.”

Ortiz also commented on his displeasure with the way he has been treated by the UFC:

“They said I wasn’t worth the money,” said Ortiz. “I was worth no more than what I’m getting paid now, and I’m not a commodity to them anymore. I’m not as viable to them anymore. That was a sign of disrespect.”

“With Dana in charge, I don’t think that fight will ever happen for me,” said Ortiz. “Dana has bad blood for me and nothing but bad blood. They’re going to try and ruin me.”

“UFC is caring so much about the brand itself,” said Ortiz. “They could care less about the fighters. Fighters are a dime a dozen. They’ll keep coming. Dana is really out for himself and the company. He doesn’t give a s—t about the fighters.”

Ortiz has every right to be dissatisfied with the UFC’s lack of desire to resign him. Ortiz has been a headliner in 17 of his 20 UFC appearances and his rematch with Chuck Liddell, which took place at UFC 66 in December 2006, remains the largest UFC pay-per-view to date, which saw a reported 1,000,050 buys. The event also holds the North American record for paid attendance with 12,191 fans dishing out $5,397,300 of their hard earned cash.

With the M-1 global and EliteXC working to promote their brands of mixed martial arts to the public, Ortiz should come across little trouble finding a new home.
M-1 Global is the current home of former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and EliteXC scooped up Nick Diaz when his UFC contract was up. These organizations need more high profile names to be considered legitimate contenders with the UFC. Tito Ortiz is the perfect name to bolster any roster of light heavyweights.

I just got an email from Diego Sanchez’ sponsorship team. The next time Diego fights will probably be March 1st at UFC 82. The proposed opponent is Roan Carneiro .

Diego Sanchez (17-2-0) is coming off of back to back losses to to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch. Before the losses, Diego sustained 17 straight wins. Sanchez hold victories over notable mma fighters Jorge Santiago, Kenny Florian, Nick Diaz, John Alessio, Karo Parisyan, and Joe Riggs. Sanchez will look to rebound when he faces the jiu-jitsu practitioner, Carneiro (12-6-0).

In an open message to his fans, Diego writes:

I want to personally thank you all for your continued support and patience with the announcement of my next fight. I have been training extremely hard and now have a solid new team around me. My new management is Powermoves Entertainment, My Jiu-Jitsu coaches are Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, 6 and 4 time World Champions respectively. Rob Garcia is my Boxing and Strength/Conditioning Coach; Rob also trains Oscar De La Hoya.

To my Sponsors, thank you all for believing in me and your continued backing of my goals.

To my fans, thank you all for the emails of support, the comments, and the belief of me being a World Champion. I promise I will respond to everyone of your emails and comments.

God Bless You All

2008 is going to be a Nightmare!!

UFC 82: will take place on March 1 in Columbus, Ohio from the Nationwide Arena.

Rumored Fight Card:
-Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson
-Jon Fitch vs. Akihiro Gono
-Josh Koscheck vs. Dustin Hazelett
-Cheick Kongo vs. Heath Herring
-Luke Cummo vs. Luigi Fioravanti
-Jorge Gurgel vs. John Halverson

Here are some photographs from today’s training session in which New York Titans lacrosse stars Ryan Boyle (gold shirt) and Jordan Hall (gray shirt) learned some fight tips and strategies from mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Renzo Gracie of the International Fight League.

Renzo Gracie shows Ryan Boyle offensive mount techniques

Ryan Boyle practicing offensive mount techniques

Jordan Hall throws a Muay Thai style elbow strike

Jordan Hall and Ryan Boyle grappling, working on takedown offense/defense

Renzo Gracie shows Jordan Hall bear hug defense

Ryan Boyle practices some ground and pound from the mount position

Boyle and Hall trained with Gracie for 90 minutes Wednesday at the IFL star’s gym on 30th street in Manhattan and picked up some tips on mixed martial arts and self-defense techniques.

“Renzo is a legend in mixed martial arts and is in fights and implements self defense every day of his life,” said Boyle. “It’s good to have a tip or two in my back pocket just in case it is needed.”

Said Gracie, “Ryan and Jordan are tough kids and good athletes, who now know a trick or two about how to defend themselves with or without sticks or helmets. Let’s see who tries to mess with them now, they are now part of my team too.”

Gracie and his IFL New squad will next compete at the Izod Center on Friday, April 4. For details go to www.ifl.tv .

Just got this press release:

LONG-AWAITED FRANK SHAMROCK-CUNG LE FIGHT SET FOR MARCH 29 AT HP PAVILION IN SAN JOSE, CALIF.

Tickets Go On Sale This Saturday, Jan. 19

SAN JOSE, Calif. — After months of circling around each other, world champions and Bay Area rivals, Frank Shamrock (23-8-1) and undefeated Cung Le (21-0), will finally face off in the cage when Shamrock defends his Strikeforce World Middleweight (185-pound limit) Championship against Le in the main event of an eagerly anticipated EliteXC-Strikeforce co-promoted mixed martial arts extravaganza Saturday, March 29, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif..

Tickets for “Shamrock vs. Cung Le,” priced from $30, go on sale this Saturday, Jan. 19, at 10 a.m. PT at the HP Pavilion box office (408-287-7070) as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (408-998-TIXS), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com), EliteXC’s official website (www.ProElite.com) and Strikeforce’s official website (www.Strikeforceusa.net).

“This is absolutely a tremendous fight and an extremely dangerous fight for both fighters, but one I know they have wanted and the fans have been waiting for and can’t wait to see,’’’ EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw said. “I can’t wait to see it either. Shamrock is a true MMA legend, but Cung Le is one of the very best fighters around, and this is his chance to prove that to the world.

“Really, I have a ton of respect for both fighters and what they have accomplished. EliteXC is really looking forward to returning to San Jose where they truly have some of the most rabid and knowledgeable fans anywhere, and working again with Scott Coker and Strikeforce.”

Said Scott Coker, Strikeforce CEO: “As a martial arts promoter for 25 years and as a promoter of both of these fighters, I’ve been watching the rivalry between Frank and Cung build for quite some time, so it’s great to see this matchup finally come to fruition.

“This has the potential to be one of the greatest mixed martial arts fights of all-time because of the tremendous skill level of both fighters and the way they match up. It’s an honor to be able to bring this fight to the fans along with EliteXC.”

To fans in the Bay Area, a perennial hotbed for martial arts, the right to claim the throne as the region’s undisputed champion is equally important as ownership of the world title.

“Being No. 2 isn’t such a bad thing so Cung has nothing to be ashamed of,” cracked the ever-entertaining Shamrock (frankshamrock.proelite.com). The first Strikeforce middleweight champion in history, Shamrock returned to vintage form in his last fight as he dominated knockout artist Phil “The New York Badass” Baroni en route to choking Baroni (philbaroni.proelite.com) unconscious in the second round before a raucous HP Pavilion crowd on June 22, 2007.
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“But there’s a big difference between being No. 1 and No. 2,’’ Shamrock continued. “Le will find that out soon enough. ”

“This is a fight that has been building for years. This is where we both grew up, where we both found our paths in life as martial artists and champions of combat. It was inevitable that we would one day face each other here. I’m excited it’s finally happening.’’

At 35, Shamrock has cemented his place as a legend in the sport of mixed martial arts. After becoming the first UFC Middleweight Champion in history in 1997 by submitting 1992 Olympic Games wrestling gold medalist Kevin Jackson with an armbar in a then-record 16 seconds, Shamrock reached the pinnacle of his career by stopping “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (titortiz.proelite.com), in what is celebrated as one of the greatest martial arts battles of all-time.

Before a record crowd of 18,265 at the HP Pavilion on March 10, 2006, Shamrock ended a three-year hiatus when he faced old nemesis Cesar Gracie in the main event of Strikeforce’s inaugural mixed martial arts show. In a devastating performance, Shamrock decimated the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with a right hand followed by a series of strikes on the floored Gracie that ended the fight a mere 21 seconds after it started.

Shamrock is widely recognized as the father of modern day mixed martial arts, a pioneer of complete fighting who boasts a dangerously versatile skill set, including western boxing, kickboxing and submission wrestling.

Le (cungle.proelite.com), also 35, is attempting to follow in Shamrock’s footsteps in the cage after reeling off 16 consecutive wins in professional kickboxing, where he sealed his position as the sport’s top 185-pound fighter and, arguably, its greatest pound-for-pound competitor.

A host of Le’s conquests, which include four K-1 USA “Superfight” victories and the International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) world 185-pound title, have been showcased on ESPN.

“I want this fight. I can’t wait to get in the cage with Frank,” said the confident Le, a winner in his last start over former The Ultimate Fighter reality show contestant, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan, during a Strikeforce promotion at HP Pavilion on Nov. 16, 2007.

The talented Le’s victory, a third round TKO that he secured with a sidekick to the liver, raised his mixed martial arts record to a perfect 5-0 with five (T)KOs. “People have been wondering when I’d take the next step in the cage and fight an established superstar and world champion,” said Le, who was sensational during a third-round TKO (strikes) over Tony Fryklund on the Shamrock-Baroni undercard. “Well, here it is. The fans are in for a great fight.”

The greatest challenge posed by Le is, perhaps, his fighting style, considered unorthodox by mixed martial arts standards. Thus far, he has been untouchable in the ring as well as the cage, frustrating and confusing his opponents with an elusiveness and bag of tricks that includes scissor kicks, hip tosses and assorted other throwing techniques that stem from his studies of San Shou kickboxing.

Born in Vietnam, Le fled the war-torn country as a baby in his mother’s arms in 1975. After immigrating to The United States, the family settled in San Jose where Le eventually became an All-American high school and, later, a California state wrestling champion at West Valley Junior College before discovering San Shou.

Le’s tale of survival and success has been the subject of documentary films aired on The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel. More recently, Le was featured on an episode of The History Channel’s smash-hit martial arts television series, The Human Weapon.

The five-round Shamrock-Le contest will highlight a SHOWTIME telecast that begins live at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). The preliminary card will begin at 5 p.m. PT.

I just got this news from the International Fight League:

New York Titans All-Star forward Ryan Boyle, who was part of one of 2007’s most talked about on-field fights (just search his name on www.laxfights.com if you don’t believe us), is going straight to the source for some self-defense help in 2008. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Renzo Gracie, who led his International Fight League team to the inaugural championship in September, will begin work with Boyle and several of his professional indoor lacrosse teammates on Wednesday at the Renzo Gracie Academy on 30th Street, steps from Madison Square Garden, where the Titans open their 2008 season on Jan. 31. The Brooklyn resident and Princeton grad looks to gain a few training tips—and maybe a striking pointer or two—from the man whose family invented many of the techniques that form the basis of mixed martial arts. “In this league, it never hurts to learn some ways to defend myself and maybe some counter moves,” said Boyle. Added Gracie, “I’ve seen these [NLL] guys fight, and I think with a little training, Ryan will be the one they soon won’t be messing with.”

Renzo Gracie’s New York Pitbulls rebounded from a winless 2006 season to become the undefeated IFL champions in 2007.

Renzo is the main instructor at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhattan and has co-authored three instructional books on jiu-jitsu. Gracie has trained a host of black belts and MMA champions, including Rodrigo Gracie, UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra, UFC interim welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, Ricardo Almeida, Sean Alvarez and Israeli karate champion Haim Gozali.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua recently commented to GracieMag.com that he will be fighting again on April 19th.

“I’m already preparing for my return. I’ll fight on April 19. Ninja and Dida go back in March.”

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua – right

The April 19th fight card will be held in the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada and would be the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event held in Canada. Shogun is coming off a devastating and dominating loss in his UFC debut to Forrest Griffin; Shogun will look to rebound from that loss and get back on the trail to a light heavyweight title shot. No rumors have surfaced as to who his opponent may be.

The April 19th bout will also feature a main event between UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra and UFC interim welterweight champion Georges “Rush” St. Pierre, provided the injured Serra is able to prepare himself for a fight in April. The bout will unify the welterweight title situation in the UFC and provide some closure to a division that has been in disarray since Serra was injured while training for a title fight versus Matt Hughes.

Rumored fight card for the April 19th event:

– Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre
– Karo Parisyan vs. Thiago Alves
– Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. TBA
– Jason MacDonald vs. TBA
– Patrick Cote vs. TBA