News Page 36

UFC 74 Party in Denver tonight!!

8-25-2007

Denver, CO

This Saturday night all Denver sports fans are invited to UFC 74: RESPECT party at CHAMPPS Sports Bar hosted by RING OF FIRE.

ABOUT THE PPV EVENT: COUTURE TAKES ON GONZAGA IN FIRST TITLE DEFENSE ST-PIERRE RETURNS TO TAKE ON KOSCHECK.

Fight fans around the world watched Randy "The Natural" Couture as he dominated Tim Sylvia for five straight rounds to become the only man ever to win the UFC World Heavyweight title three times. Seven weeks later, millions watched in awe as Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga landed a devastating knockout over Mirko "Cro Cop", one of the most skilled and feared heavyweights in the world. Having earned the respect of sports fans everywhere, both Couture and Gonzaga -- the two best heavyweights in the UFC - - will now face each other in one of the most anticipated title fights in history. The Ultimate Fighting Championship organization presents UFC 74: RESPECT featuring the championship main event Couture vs. Gonzaga and the special feature Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck, live from Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday, August 25.

In a special feature, Georges "Rush" St-Pierre will return to the Octagon for the first time since his unexpected loss to Matt "The Terror" Serra at UFC 69. Fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada and holding a record of 13 wins and 2 losses -- the first to Matt Hughes and the second to Serra -- the former welterweight champion is anxious to deploy his explosive fighting techniques and reinstate his winning ways at UFC 74.

Meet The Coors Light Silver Bullet Girls!!
The COORS LIGHT SILVER BULLET girls will be hand at the party as well. They will be offering chances to win the COORS LIGHT ULTIMATE RING OF FIRE EXPERIENCE. A package that includes a limo ride with the girls to ROF 30 DOMINATION, backstage passes to event, meet and greet passes, etc. But best of all the winners will get to sit ringside in recliners at ROF 30, all the while being served cold Coors Light and Brothers BBQ from the Silver Bullet Girls!!
Come down, watch the fights, meet the girls, and get signed up to win The COORS LIGHT ULTIMATE RING OF FIRE EXPERIENCE!!

OFFICIAL ROF PARTY LOCATION: CHAMPPS
Champps philosophy is simple. Make burgers from scratch and pile them high. Fill our bar with TV's and turn the volume up for games/fights. Bring in a DJ and have a party every night!!!

Directions: CHAMPPS Aspen Grove is located at 7301 S. Santa Fe Drive inside the Aspen Grove shopping center. For more info please call 303.707.0333

CHAMPPS WEBSITE

IFL to Get Additional Coverage on Fox Sports Net
8-23-2007

Denver, CO

The International Fight League and Fox Sports Net (FSN) announced today that the network will re-air the entire 2007 season of IFL action, in order, beginning on Sunday, Sept. 30, at 4 p.m., then following weekly at its regular new time slot of 5 p.m. local time in most regions.

The re-airs will run each week through March 2008.

The 5 p.m. time on Sunday nights, which proved successful for IFL programming last year, is one of the most desirable national slots on FSN’s calendar during the busy fall and winter seasons, and will give the IFL added national exposure.

“Our growth as a brand and as a league during our first full season is due in large part to our belief that the sport of MMA, like all rising sports, needs consistent television exposure on broadcast TV and basic cable,” said Gareb Shamus, IFL co-founder and CEO.

“Our partnership with FSN from the beginning has given us that cable exposure that has helped us build market share and star athletes, and we are very excited to be able to continue to expose our athletes through this consistent weekly programming. It will give fans a chance to see how these athletes started in the league, catch events they might not have seen the first time, and see their favorite events again, all in a very desirable and consistent timeslot.”

“The IFL is one of the most dynamic new programs to hit the air,” said George Greenberg, FSN executive vice president. “It’s been a ratings success and we are proud to give the league the additional exposure.”

The encore presentations will afford fans the opportunity to again see great IFL matches such as the classic Chris Horodecki vs. Bart Palaszewski lightweight bout, the controversial Ben Rothwell vs. Roy Nelson heavyweight clash and the Brad Blackburn vs. Jay Hieron welterweight matchup.

The current IFL season will conclude on Thursday, Sept. 20, with Renzo Gracie’s New York Pitbulls meeting Pat Miletich’s Quad Cities Silverbacks at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. That event will be shown on FSN on Sept. 23.

UFC 77 HOSTILE TERRITORY - UFC Heads to Cincinnati
8-22-2007, PNW

Denver, CO

UFC® MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - ANDERSON “THE SPIDER” SILVA vs. RICH “ACE” FRANKLIN

HEAVYWEIGHT FEATURE - TIM “THE MAINE-IAC” SYLVIA vs. BRANDON “THE TRUTH” VERA

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 LIVE FROM U.S. BANK ARENA

Tickets Go on Sale Sunday, Aug. 26 at 10am ET

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization today announced that UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva will travel to the hometown of the man he took the title from, Rich “Ace” Franklin, to defend his crown against the popular former titlist in a highly anticipated rematch entitled UFC 77: HOSTILE TERRITORY. This event will take place at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Saturday, October 20. UFC 77 marks the UFC’s second fight in Ohio this year, and its first fight ever in Cincinnati.

“Anderson Silva has shown he is probably one of the most deadly 185 pounders we’ve ever seen,” said Dana White, UFC President, “and he has shown no signs of slowing down in his two fights since beating Rich Franklin last year. But Rich told me that he has never trained harder for a fight than he is for this one, and he is determined to not only win his title back, but to do so in front of his hometown fans on October 20th.”

Tickets for UFC 77: HOSTILE TERRITORY go on sale Sunday, August 26 at 10am ET with prices starting at $50. The fastest and most convenient way to purchase tickets is by visiting the Ticketmaster Web site at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets including select Kroger stores, or by calling Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone at 513-562-4949. Tickets are also available at the U.S. Bank Arena Arena Box Office, and online through www.usbankarena.com and www.ufc.com.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wed., Aug. 22 at 10am ET via the website www.ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, August 24 starting at 10:00am ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through www.ufc.com.

UFC 77: HOSTILE TERRITORY is available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95 ($39.99 CAD) and $49.95 for HD where available.

After a devastating first round loss to Silva in their Middleweight title bout in October of 2006, Franklin has spent the last year training, fighting hard, and winning in order to get back to the number one contender’s spot. Meanwhile, Silva, the reigning and defending champion, has fought and won twice since taking the belt from Franklin, and his plans for UFC 77 involve defending his title and spoiling his challenger’s homecoming.

Silva (19-4), fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil, is an extremely well-rounded fighter with phenomenal striking skills as well as a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. After defeating Chris Leben and Franklin in the first round in his first two UFC fights, “The Spider” took on Travis Lutter in February in what was supposed to be his first title defense, but Lutter fell short of making weight by a half-pound. As a result, their fight was altered to a three-round non-championship bout, but Silva still finished Lutter by submission at 2:11 of the second round. Silva then took on Nathan Marquardt at UFC 73 in July and finally got his first successful title defense under his belt with an impressive first round TKO win.

Franklin (24-2) fought a good portion of his career as a light heavyweight before moving to the middleweight division. At UFC 53, he stopped UFC champion Evan Tanner to capture the middleweight crown. He made his first title defense against Nate Quarry at UFC 56, winning by first round KO, and his second defense against Canadian David Loiseau at UFC 58 showed his championship heart as he won a five round decision despite fighting much of the fight with a broken hand. Franklin faced Anderson Silva in his third UFC title defense, but was stopped by the Brazilian in the first round. At UFC 68 in March, he returned to the Octagon™, and in front of his home state crowd, stopped Jason MacDonald at the start of the second round. At UFC 72, Franklin defeated Yushin Okami by unanimous decision to earn a rematch with Silva and a shot at redemption.

Also on the UFC 77 card will be a heavyweight matchup between former UFC Champion Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia and unbeaten Brandon “The Truth” Vera. This fight will mark the first fight for Vera since a contract dispute with former management sidelined him for almost a year. The dynamic Vera (8-0) is excited to get back in the Octagon, and he expects to pick up where he left off last year by defeating Sylvia and every opponent afterward until he becomes the UFC heavyweight champion. The 6 foot 8 Sylvia (25-3), only the second man in UFC history to win the heavyweight title twice, would like to eventually join the man he lost the crown to in March, Randy Couture, as the only fighters in history to win the title three times. A win over Vera will push him firmly in that positive direction.

For more information about UFC 77 or any upcoming UFC event, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.

bodogFIGHT - New Jersey Event Makes Broadcast Premiere Tonight!

8-21-2007, PNW

Denver, CO

After crossing the frozen tundra of St. Petersburg, Russia, and storming the beaches of Costa Rica, the hardest-hitting show on TV is infiltrating the home of The Sopranos and Goodfellas ... and you better not fuggedaboutit!

Bodog Fight: New Jersey marks the mixed martial arts series debut on American soil. Filmed in Trenton, the show features two championship fights, with Trevor Prangley taking on Japanese superstar Yuki Kondo for the middleweight belt and Tara LaRosa squaring off against Kelly Kobold for the women's 135lb title.

The first episode premieres in more than 90 million U.S. homes this Tuesday, August 21st at 11 p.m. Eastern, 10 p.m. Central on ION television and in Canada on The Fight Network, offering viewers a look at one of the sport's fastest rising stars.

Fight card:

HW: Mark Burch vs. Yoshiki Takahashi
145lbs: David Love vs. Eben Oroz
155lbs: Jorge Masvidalvs. Yves Edwards
185lbs: Chael Sonnen vs. Amar Suloev
HW: Branden Lee Hinkle vs. Roman Zentsov
155lbs: Nick Agallar vs. James "Binky" Jones
135lbs: Blair Tugman vs. Dan Hawley
185lbs: Trevor Prangley vs. Yuki Kondo
135lbs: Tara LaRosa vs. Kelly Kobold
170lbs: Eddie Alvarez vs. Matt Lee

IFL - Announces New TV Deals

8-21-2007, PNW

Denver, CO

The International Fight League, the world’s number one team-based professional mixed martial arts league, and Alfred Haber Distribution (AHDI) today announced the addition of another three territories to their fast-growing international television network. “IFL Battleground” and “IFL Fight Night” will be carried by EGO in Israel and TV4 in Sweden and licensed by ABS-CBN in the Philippines, starting in September. These additions come after AHDI and the IFL announced their first Asian television deal with STAR on August 6.

“Our television business has now grown steadily thanks to the combination of quality programming that tells the stories and shows our events to a mainstream audience, and the diligent work of AHDI,” said Gareb Shamus, IFL co-founder and CEO. “This additional Middle Eastern exposure, as well as the growth into Europe and the Philippines, is another sure sign that the IFL business model is growing soundly and that there is more good news to come for our television partners, our business partners and the growing number of MMA fans around the world.”

ABS-CBN is the largest television channel in The Philippines, while EGO is one of the fastest growing private channels in Israel and TV4 is a top network in Sweden. The addition of these partners adds to an IFL TV platform that also includes all of the Middle East and parts of northern Africa on MBC, the leading free-to-air Pan-Arab news and entertainment channel in the region and CanWest Global in Canada, who is distributing the shows on their Global X-Treme Sports Channel. Those are in addition to STAR and almost 60 countries in Asia, and the IFL’s United States deals with “IFL Battleground,” hosted by Tiffany Fallon and Bas Rutten on MyNetwork TV (Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific/7 p.m. Central) and “Fight Night” (Fridays at 11 p.m. on FSN). IFL programming is also seen worldwide on Armed Forces Network.

NO HOLDS BARRED: L. Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated

8-21-2007

Denver, CO

http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-08-20T16_03_43-07_00

On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, the second this week, host Eddie Goldman speaks with L. Jon Wertheim, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated.

The May 28, 2007, edition of Sports Illustrated featured a groundbreaking and positive cover story on mixed martial arts and UFC, written by Jon, called "The New Main Event" (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/05/22/ultimate0528/index.html).

In a lengthy interview, we discuss this story, mixed martial arts and UFC in general, what his plans are for covering mixed martial arts, and where this sport and its organizations may be headed.

Also, make sure to check out my weekly boxing show, SecondsOut Radio. On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio/, we preview the title defense by WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev (34-5, 26 KOs) against challenger Samuel Peter (28-1, 22 KOs) at New York's Madison Square Garden on Saturday, October 6, which will be televised live in the US on Showtime. At a prefight news conference at the Garden, we spoke with a confident Oleg Maskaev and his trainer, Victor Valle Jr. We also spoke with an equally confident Samuel Peter and the legendary trainer Lou Duva. We spoke with former champion Jose Antonio Rivera (38-5-1, 24 KOs), who fights another former champion, Daniel Santos (30-3-1, 21 KOs), in a super welterweight co-feature on this card. We spoke with promoter Don King, who as always had a lot to say about this card. And we got a comment from activist and former Democratic presidential candidate Rev. Al Sharpton, who attended this news conference, about why he thinks boxing is a good sport for youth.

SecondsOut Radio is also free to hear, but you must register to gain access to it, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio.

NO HOLDS BARRED: Dr. Margaret Goodman on Boxing's Watergate

8-20-2007, PNW

Denver, CO

On this special edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Dr. Margaret Goodman, a neurologist and former chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, about the scandal which may become boxing's equivalent of Watergate. (This was the first part of a two-part interview, which first appeared thispast week on SecondsOut Radio, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio/.
The second part, about steroids and other issues in mixed martial arts, appeared last week on NO HOLDS BARRED.)

On July 30, The New York Times ran an investigative report entitled "In Boxing's Underbelly, a Blind Eye to Fighters' Health" (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/sports/othersports/30boxing.html) by John Eligon and Duff Wilson. The piece documented numerous cases where boxers had been given questionable medical clearance to fight, and even had fraudulent medical forms submitted on their behalf to various
state athletic commissions for supposed medical examinations of them. Several of these fighters later died as a result of injuries suffered in those fights.

We discuss with Dr. Goodman this scandal in depth and the failure of so many state athletic commissions in the US to take proper and
reasonable measures to look after the safety and well-being of the fighters, as well as what must be done both in the short-term and the
long-term to protect fighters.

To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click one of the links below and just press the play button on the player:
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-08-19T12_16_37-07_00
http://www.nowpublic.com/no-holds-barred-dr-margaret-goodman-boxings-watergate

You can also listen to it through the NO HOLDS BARRED blog, at http://nhbnews.blogspot.com, and my MySpace page, at http://www.myspace.com/nhbnews, also by pressing the play button on the player.

IFL - Team Championship Rosters

8-16-2007, Denver, CO PNW

Event date: 09-20-2007, 7:30pm

Seminole Hard Rock Casino, Hollywood, FL k

The full rosters for the Finals follow. Bout order will be determined by coaches’ choice prior to the Official Weigh-in on September 19.

No. 4 Silverbacks (2-1 regular season team, 9-6 indiv.) vs. No. 2 Pitbulls (3-0, 10-5)
155 lb.: Bart Palaszewski (Wonder Lake, Ill.) (8-1 IFL, 28-8 overall) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) (2-0, 8-2)
170 lb.: TBD vs. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (4-2, 11-3)
185 lb.: Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) (4-4, 10-5) vs. Fabio Leopoldo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (3-1, 5-2)
205 lb: Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) (5-2, 13-2) vs. Jamal Patterson (Hoboken, N.J.) (3-1, 3-1)
265 lb.: Ben Rothwell (Milwaukee, Wis.) (7-0, 22-5) vs. Bryan Vetell (Jamaica, N.Y.) (2-2, 3-2)

Preliminary Bouts
155 lb.: Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) (3-2, 16-9-1) vs. Aaron Riley (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) (0-0, 23-9-1)
170 lb.: Brad Blackburn (Olympia, Wash.) (3-2, 10-9) vs. Travis Cox (Naples, Fla.) (0-0, 4-4)
205 lb.: Allan Goes (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (3-1, 10-5-2) vs. Chris Baten (Tampa, Fla.) (0-0, 5-2)
265 lb.: Rolles Gracie (New York) (0-0, 0-0) vs. Seth Petruzelli (Orlando, Fla.) (0-0, 7-4)

BRANDON VERA - Returns to the Octagon™
8-16-2007, PNW

Denver, CO

The truth hurts. Just ask those who have ever stepped into the Octagon™ with rising heavyweight star Brandon "The Truth" Vera, who, after a prolonged absence due to managerial issues, will finally return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization to put his perfect record on the line as he resumes his chase for the World Heavyweight Championship. Dana White, UFC President, who was pleased to make the announcement of Vera's return today, expects the Californian to be back in action as soon as October of this year.

“Brandon Vera is a young, well-rounded, exciting heavyweight who finishes fights in exciting fashion,” said Dana White, UFC President. “I think he brings a lot to the heavyweight mix, and I see him in a position to fight for the heavyweight title in 2008.”

Brandon “The Truth” Vera was undefeated and considered a top contender in the heavyweight division before a contract dispute with former management took him out of action. Now, almost a year later, the issue has been resolved, Vera is under new management and is anxious to start fighting again.

“I'm so excited to be back in the UFC, I have no words to describe the feeling,” said Vera.

“The Truth” comes back at a time when the UFC heavyweight division has never been more powerful, boasting a lineup of contenders that reads like a “Who’s Who” of the world’s most competitive fighters, with a three-time UFC heavyweight champion sitting at the top. In the last year, the UFC has brought on Mirko “Cro Cop,” Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, and Fabricio Werdum, and has seen the rise of Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo. Also in the mix of could-be Vera foes are former UFC Heavyweight Champions Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir.

“I realize the UFC heavyweight division is much stronger now, but I like having more challenges, and that just gives me more motivation to train,” said Vera. “I feel that when I’m on top of my game, nobody can beat me. I have a plan to become the heavyweight champion, so I’m going to stick to the plan that my management team NCFC and both of my coaches set and win the titles. I want to prove I'm the best for my family, my friends and most of all my fans.”

Fighting out of San Diego, Calif., Vera is 6’3” 223 lbs., and holds a brown belt in jiu-jitsu. He has won many submission competitions, but he has also become known for his striking ability. He has won all four of his fights in the UFC and scored all victories by either knockout or submission. His last three fights all ended in the first round.

Vera made his Octagon debut at UFC® Fight Night™ in October of 2005. He proved he meant business and finished the much heavier Fabiano Scherner in the second round by knee strikes. He went on to score back-to-back first round victories with a KO over Justin Eilers at UFC 57, and a submission over Assuerio Silva (guillotine choke) at UFC 60. At UFC 65 last November Vera took on former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir and defeated him by TKO at 1:09 in the first round.

Vera stands undefeated in the UFC and holds an overall mixed martial arts record of 8-0. He intends to maintain that winning streak all the way to the heavyweight championship.

For more information about the UFC, or any upcoming UFC event, visit www.ufc.com, www.ufcespanol.com or uk.ufc.com.

NO HOLDS BARRED: Jeff Monson
8-15-2007, PNW
Denver, CO

http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-08-15T01_19_05-07_00

On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, the second this week, host Eddie Goldman speaks with one of the hardest-working men in the combat sports, Jeff "The Snowman" Monson (http://www.myspace.com/jeffthesnowmanmonson), a member of American Top Team (http://www.americantopteam.com/) and a two-time ADCC (http://adcombat.com/) champion.

This Friday, August 17, Jeff will face former USWF (Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation) fighter Chris Guillen for the newly-created Global Fighting Championships (http://www.globalfightingchampionships.com/) heavyweight title on their mixed martial arts show at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Just two weeks later, on Saturday, September 1, Jeff will face former UFC heavyweight contender Pedro Rizzo for the IFA heavyweight title in the main event of the Art of War 3 (http://www.artofwarlive.com) mixed martial arts show at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, and on pay-per-view television.

Then, just about a week later on September 9, Jeff will hit the mats as part of USA Wrestling's (http://themat.com/) U.S. Grappling World Team, which will compete at the first Grappling World Championships at the World Wrestling Games, hosted by FILA, the international wrestling federation, in Antalya, Turkey. The World Wrestling Games also features sombo, beach wrestling, and pankration.

We spoke at length with the peripatetic "Snowman" about his career, his prospects for winning three titles in two sports in a span of four weeks, and the relation between wrestling and both grappling and mixed martial arts. We also discussed some of Jeff's controversial political views, and how he sees their relation to the combat sports.

Also, make sure to check out my weekly boxing show, SecondsOut Radio. On this week's special edition of SecondsOut Radio, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio/, we speak with Dr. Margaret Goodman, a neurologist and former chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, about the scandal which may become boxing's equivalent of Watergate. On July 30, The New York Times ran an investigative report entitled "In Boxing's Underbelly, a Blind Eye to Fighters' Health" (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/sports/othersports/30boxing.html) by John Eligon and Duff Wilson. The piece documented numerous cases where boxers had been given questionable medical clearance to fight, and even had fraudulent medical forms submitted on their behalf to various state athletic commissions for supposed medical examinations of them. Several of these fighters later died as a result of injuries suffered in those fights. We discuss with Dr. Goodman this scandal in depth and the failure of so many state athletic commissions in the US to take proper and reasonable measures to look after the safety and well-being of the fighters, as well as what must be done both in the short-term and the long-term to protect fighters.

SecondsOut Radio is also free to hear, but you must register to gain access to it, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio.

Make sure to check out my regular articles on the ADCC News at http://www.adcombat.com and on FightBeat.com at http://fightbeat.com.

Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.

Anderson, Townsend named coaches for historic first U.S. Grappling World Team
8-14-2007, PNW
Denver, CO

USA Wrestling, the national governing body for amateur wrestling, has named Bob Anderson of Redondo Beach, Calif. and Jason Townsend of Las Vegas, Nev. as coaches for the U.S. Grappling World Team, which will compete in Antalya, Turkey on Sept. 9.

FILA, the international wrestling federation, has named Grappling (also known as submission wrestling) as an international wrestling style. This will be the first Grappling World Championships hosted by FILA, as part of the World Wrestling Games which also features Sombo, Beach Wrestling and Pankration.

“We are confident that the coaching staff assembled for this historic competition will provide athletes with a wonderful opportunity to reach the podium at the World Championships,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “USA Wrestling is firmly committed to this program and all disciplines of international wrestling.”

Anderson and Townsend both have considerable experience in coaching Grappling and wrestling, and have been instrumental in the development of USA Wrestling’s new Grappling initiative.

The World Team Coaches will conduct a training camp for the USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials champions at the NOLIMITS training center in Irvine, Calif. prior to the U.S. team’s departure to Turkey.

The coaches selected for the U.S. Grappling World Team were approved by USA Wrestling’s ad-hoc Grappling Committee.

Bob Anderson, Redondo Beach, Calif.

Anderson serves as the Head Wrestling Coach for No Limits Mixed Martial Arts, teaching wrestling and Grappling to the students there. No Limits athlete Don Ortega won the USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials, and will represent the United States at the World Championships in Antalya.

He has a long history as a successful coach within amateur wrestling and the martial arts, including mentorship of numerous champion athletes in many styles.

“We will have a tough challenge at the Worlds with Brazil and other nations,” said Anderson. “The USA will be up for this challenge. We will show the Grappling world that America’s martial art is wrestling. I believe wholeheartedly that we have the athletes to win it.”

Anderson served on the coaching staff of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman Team which competed in Atlanta, Ga. He was also a coach on a number of U.S. World Teams. Anderson served on the coaching staff for the 2004 Greco-Roman World Cup as well as the 2002 Junior World Greco-Roman Championships. He served as a coach at the 1990 U.S. Olympic Festival, and has coached U.S. teams in Italy, Romania, Guatemala and other nations.

He was the founder and director of the Junior Elite Wrestling Systems (JETS) club, which won 12 age-group national wrestling titles and developed dozens of All-Americans. Anderson is a Gold Certified Coach within USA Wrestling’s National Coaches Education Program, the highest coaching achievement in the sport.

Henderson coached U.S. Olympic Team Greco-Roman wrestlers Dan Henderson, Heath Sims and Jason Gleasman. Among the other top international wrestling stars he has mentored include Olympic and World champion Rulon Gardner and World Team member Randy Couture. Both Henderson and Couture have gone on to become champions in Mixed Martial Arts.

Anderson served as head wrestling coach for Kaahumanu Hou Christian School in Hawaii from 1992-2000. He also served as a coach at Adams State Univ. and El Camino JC, as well as a number of high schools in California.

He also has an extensive coaching career in Sombo, serving as the coach and a competitor for the 1977 Pan American Championships Sombo team, which won the team title in Mexico City, Mexico. He was also a coach with the 1979 U.S. Sombo World Team which competed in Madrid, Spain. During this time, he was a friend and mentor for the martial arts legend Hollis Gracie. Anderson is credited with developing the “Americana Arm Bar” submission hold. He also studied judo under respected coach Gene LaBelle.

He was a Veterans World freestyle wrestling champion in 2003 and Veterans World Greco-Roman runner-up in 2004. He competed in freestyle, Greco-Roman and Sombo on the national levels. Anderson won national titles within the U.S. Wrestling Federation, the AAU and the YMCA programs.

Anderson competed in wrestling at Adams State, where he was an All-American in the NCAA Div. I Championships and the NAIA Championships. He was the first Adams State wrestler to be a Div. I All-American. Previously, he attended El Camino JC, where he was a two-time California Junior College state champion.

“I am excited to coach this U.S. team,” said Anderson. “To be able to go to the first World Championships and get back into what I did as an athlete and coach in the 1970’s is a great honor.”

Jason Townsend, Las Vegas, Nev.

Townsend is a Wrestling/Grappling Coach at Xtreme Couture MMA in Las Vegas, Nev. working with Mixed Martial Arts legend Randy Couture, who was also a U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling World Team member.

He serves as Head Wrestling Coach at Marc Laimon’s Cobra Kai jiu-jitsu in Las Vegas, Nev. Cobra Kai jiu-jitsu placed two athletes in the finals of USA Wrestling Grappling World TeamTrials, runners-up Jeff Glover and Simpson Go. Glover will compete at the Grappling World Championships in Turkey.

“I am honored to be able to represent the USA as a coach of the first-ever U.S. Grappling World Team. It will be nice to use my knowledge of the rules to develop strategies, techniques and training methods necessary to defeat our foreign competition and bring home gold medals for the United States,” said Townsend.

Townsend serves as a member of the FILA World Grappling Committee, the group within international wrestling which manages Grappling worldwide. Within the committee, Townsend serves as Technical Director for coaches and officials education, as well as rules oversight. He is one of the authors of the FILA Grappling Rulebook.

He was the founder and President of the International Submission Wrestling Association, a Grappling organization that hosted competitions, as well as trained officials, coaches and athletes. With the ISWA, Townsend developed the rules of Grappling which have been adopted by FILA. The ISWA ceased operation after FILA and USA Wrestling adopted Grappling as a style of wrestling.

Townsend has been a key individual in putting together USA Wrestling’s existing Grappling program right from the start of organizational meetings this winter.

Townsend served as an assistant wrestling coach at Cal-State Fullerton from 2000-2005. He was a varsity wrestler for Syracuse Univ. and Hofstra Univ. Townsend was a two-time Maryland state high school champion, and was an All-American in freestyle at the Junior Nationals and Espoir Nationals.

“This is huge for the development of Grappling as a legitimate international amateur sport,” said Townsend. “USA Wrestling has become a leader in the Grappling movement and a model for the implementation of this style into existing national wrestling federations around the world.”

NO HOLDS BARRED: Dr. Margaret Goodman on Steroids in MMA

8-13-2007, PNW

Denver, CO http://www.secondsout.com/radio/, where we discussed a brewing scandal in boxing, which she characterized as boxing's Watergate. That scandal involves a recent report in The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/sports/othersports/30boxing.html), which documented numerous cases where boxers had been given questionable medical clearance to fight, and even had fraudulent medical forms submitted on their behalf to various state athletic commissions for supposed medical examinations of them. Several of these fighters later died because of injuries suffered in those fights.

To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click one of these links and just press the play button on the player:
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-08-12T17_17_55-07_00
http://www.nowpublic.com/no-holds-barred-dr-margaret-goodman-steroids-mma

You can also listen to it through the NO HOLDS BARRED blog, at http://nhbnews.blogspot.com, and my MySpace page, at http://www.myspace.com/nhbnews, also by pressing the play button on the player.

Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes at
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.

The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

If you want to leave a comment on the show, you can do so at the NO HOLDS BARRED blog, at http://nhbnews.blogspot.com.

The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/).

NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Art of War (http://www.artofwarlive.com), the undisputed arena fighting championship, promoted by Sun Sports and Entertainment,
producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information, check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com (http://www.artofwarlive.com).

IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/), the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/1636002) in the U.S., and to check your local listings for dates and times. You can also catch the IFL's newest show, "IFL Battleground", every Monday night on MyNetworkTV (http://www.mynetworktv.com/). An encore presentation will run each Saturday night from. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, at http://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html.

Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year.
For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/).

BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as
lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com
(http://bjjmart.com) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/).

FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman

HIGH COUNTRY HARLEY presents RING OF FIRE 30: DOMINATION!!

8-7-2007

Denver, CO

ROF promoter Sven BOOGIE Bean is happy to announce that tickets are now on sale for ROF 30: DOMINATION!!. The 12 bout MMA event will take place on Saturday, September 15th 2007 at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event is presented by High Country Harley Davidson (www.highcou ntryharley.com)

UFC, K-1 and Strikeforce veteran, Duane BANG! Ludwig headlines a talent packed fight card.

Ludwig will return to fight for his hometown crowd on the heels of his Showtime PPV appearance in June. Ludwig faced UK based fighter Paul Daley, and was on the recieving end of TKO at the end of the first round. "My timing was off, and I just couldn't seem to get my rythym going in that fight." Ludwig and Daley were the "swing" bout on the card, a spot that means you have to be ready to go at anytime during the event. "We were called on deck twice, and then brought back to the locker room. It kind of messed with me a bit." said Ludwig

BANG! won't have to wonder when his fight will be come September 15th. "I am just glad to get right back in there. And I always love to fight for Ring of Fire for the Colorado fans. They tend to bring out the best in me, and I always feel the pressure of not wanting to let them down. There is nothing like fighting in front of your friends and family. It is one of the best feelings in the world! I got right back to training, and I am feeling great. I am ready to let my hands go, and hopefully will be able to put on a good show for the ROF fans. They have always been there for me through thick and thin, and I plan to repay them on September 15th!"

The full fight card will be released next week. The card will have International appeal with fighters coming from 3 countries including multiple PPV veterans. Look for some big names along with the hottest new talent as well.

WORLD CLASS ARENA
The 45 million dollar Broomfield Event Center opened in November of 2006. It is home to the Colorado RAGE hockey team and the Colorado 14ers basketball franchise. The facility is state of the art and there is not a bad seat in the house.

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!!
Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at the Event Center Box Office,
Charge by phone at 303-410-T I X S, or online at www. broomfieldeventcenter.com. Ticket Prices are $25.00, $35.00 and $55.00 for reserved seating (facilty fees not included).

As always if you would like to see the show in style 8 seat VIP tables or VIP Party Suites can be reserved at 303- 246-5237

IFL, Alfred Haber Distribution Announce First International TV Sale in Asia to Star TV
8-7-2007

Denver, CO

“IFL Battleground” and “IFL Fight Night” broadcasts to be seen in an additional 50 countries in the Far East

The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world’s number one team-based professional mixed martial arts league, and Alfred Haber Distribution (AHDI) today announced the addition of Star TV as the IFL’s first television partner in Asia. Star will carry IFL programming on it’s Star Sports platform, available in over 50 countries to a viewership of over 300 million.

“The sport of Mixed Martial Arts has a storied history in Asia, and we are very eager for such a large fan base to be able to see the IFL on a regular basis,” said Gareb Shamus, IFL co-founder and CEO. “The combination of our rising stars with our legendary coaches, many of whom are already household names in Asia, will make for very exciting programming for this important, emerging fan base.”

Star TV adds to an IFL TV platform that also includes most of the Middle East and parts of northern Africa on MBC, the leading free-to-air Pan-Arab news and entertainment channel in the region and CanWest Global in Canada, who is distributing the shows on their Global X-Treme Sports Channel. Those are in addition to the IFL’s United States deals with “IFL Battleground,” hosted by Tiffany Fallon and Bas Rutten on MyNetwork TV (Mondays at 8 p.m. eastern and pacific/7 p.m. central) and “Fight Night” (Fridays at 11:00 p.m. on FSN). IFL programming is also seen worldwide on Armed Forces Network.

NO HOLDS BARRED: Antonio McKee, Ben Rothwell, Benji Radach, Renzo Gracie, Pat Miletich, Ken Yasuda, Randy Gordon, Gerald Harris, Alex Schoenauer, IFL Semis Review

8-6-2007

Denver, CO

http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-08-05T17_59_02-07_00

On this packed edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman reviews the 2007 International Fight League (IFL) World Championship Semifinals, which were held Thursday, Aug. 2, at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On that card, the New York Pitbulls defeated the Tokyo Sabres by a score of three fights to two, and the defending IFL team champions, the Quad City Silverbacks, bested the Los Angeles Anacondas four fights to one. Both the Pitbulls and Silverbacks thus advance to the IFL World Team Championship, set for September 20 in Hollywood, Florida.

Right after the fights, we spoke with several fighters and coaches from that event, and, as always, discussed a number of issues and hot topics in the mixed martial arts and the combat sports.

We spoke with Randy Gordon, former editor of The Ring magazine and chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission from 1988 to 1995, who also now has a show on Sirius Satellite Radio (http://www.sirius.com) called Fight Club. We discussed why he has gone from being an opponent of the mixed martial arts to becoming an outspoken advocate for the sport, the prospects for New York finally legalizing MMA, and just who it was who helped him change his mind.

We spoke with Antonio McKee (http://www.myspace.com/antimck), welterweight fighter for the Sabres, about his split decision victory over Delson Heleno of the Pitbulls. We also discussed in depth his work with underprivileged children through his organization, Fight for Kids.

We spoke with Ben Rothwell, heavyweight for the Silverbacks, whose 13-second knockout of Krzysztof Soszynski of the Anacondas set a new IFL record for the quickest knockout. We spoke with middleweight Benji Radach of the Anacondas, who defeated Gerald Harris of the Silverbacks by a TKO at 3:03 of the first round. We also spoke with Gerald Harris about this fight and his plans. And we spoke with Alex Schoenauer, light heavyweight of the Anacondas, who lost a controversial three-round split decision to Mike Ciesnolevicz of the Silverbacks.

Plus, we spoke with victorious coaches Renzo Gracie of the Pitbulls and Pat Miletich of the Silverbacks about how they analyzed their teams' performances in the semifinals and what to expect in the finals. And we spoke with Ken Yasuda of the Sabres about the semifinals and what to expect next season.

You can read the full results of this event at http://adcombat.com/Article.asp?Article_ID=13585.

Also, make sure to check out my weekly boxing show, SecondsOut Radio. On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio (which will be posted shortly if it is not up when you read this), we begin by discussing this past Saturday's fight between Israel Vazquez (42-4, 32 KOs) and Rafael Marquez (37-4, 33 KOs) at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, and shown live in the US on Showtime. In this fight, a rematch from their first battle in March of this year won by Marquez by TKO after seven rounds, Vazquez avenged that defeat by stopping Marquez in the sixth round, and recapturing the WBC super bantamweight title. The nonstop action and brutally accurate punching of both men make this a certain fight of the year candidate.

We next preview the fight between the reigning middleweight world champion, Jermain Taylor (27-0-1, 17 KOs), and the undefeated top challenger, Kelly Pavlik (31-0, 28 KOs), which will be held Saturday, September 29, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and shown in the US on HBO. We spoke about this upcoming bout with both Taylor and Pavlik this past week at a New York news conference. We also got comments on what to expect from Iran Barkley, the former middleweight, super middleweight, and light heavyweight world champion, and Emanuel Steward, who trains Taylor.

SecondsOut Radio is also free to hear, but you must register to gain access to it, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio.

Make sure to check out my regular articles on the ADCC News at http://www.adcombat.com and on FightBeat.com at http://fightbeat.com.

WEC: Live Results - Condit keeps welterweight title, Filho takes middleweight crown!

8-6-2007, Denver, CO

From the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Preliminary Bouts:

Blas Avena defeated Tiki Ghosn by rear Naked Choke) at 1:01 of rd 1.
Steven Cantwell defeated Justin McElfresh by TKO from strikes at 0:47 of rd 1.
Eric Schambari defeated Logan Clark by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Antonio Banuelos defeated Justin Robbins by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Hiromitsu Miura def. Fernando Gonzalez by strikes at 3:35 of rd 2.

Main Card Bouts:

Jamie Varner defeated Sherron Leggett by TKO from strikes at 4:08 of rd 1.
Jeff Curran defeated Stephen Ledbetter by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Middleweight Title Bout:

Paulo Filho defeated Joe Doerksen by TKO from strikes at 4:07 of rd 1.

Welterweight Title Bout:

Carlos Condit defeated Brock Larson by armbar at 2:21 of rd 1.

K-1 Hong Kong GP 2007 - Results

8-5-2007, Denver, CO

From the Asia World Expo Arena in Hong Kong.

Reserve Bout:

Elhan Dennis (Turkey) defeated Dong Wook Kim (Korea) by KO in rd 2.

ASIA GP Quarter Final Bouts:
Wang Qiang (China) defeated Randy Kim (S. Korea) by KO in rd 2.
Yusuke Fujimoto (Japan) defeated Hong Jian (China) by unanimous decision.
Taiei Kin (Japan) defeated Sentoryu (U.S.A.) by KO.

Musashi (Japan) defeated Yong Soo Park (S. Korea) by KO in rd 2.

Super Fight:

Peter Aerts (Holland) defeated Nicholas Pettas (Denmark) by KO in rd 2.

Semi Final Bouts:

Taiei Kin (Japan) defeated Yusuke Fujimoto (Japan) by KO in rd 2.
Wang Qiang (China) vs Musashi (Japan) - Musashi out due to injury. Qiang progresses to finals.

Super Fight:

Badr Hari (Morocco) defeated Peter Graham (Australia) by decision.

Super Fight:

Hong-Man Choi (S. Korea) defeated Gary Goodridge (Trinidad and Tobago) by KO in rd 1.

Grand Prix Tournament Final:

Tournament finalists Musashi and Taiei Kin were injured and unable to continue.

Replacement Bout - Yusuke Fujimoto (Japan) defeated Wang Qiang (China) by KO in rd 1.

UFC Wins Trademark Suit Against TFA
8-4-2007

Denver, CO

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization, announced today that the United States District Court for the Central District of California issued an Order granting Zuffa’s Motion for Summary Judgment regarding Federal claims of Trademark Infringement and Unfair Competition against Total Fighting Alliance (“TFA”) and Todd Meacham Promotions.

The Court also issued a permanent injunction against TFA prohibiting TFA from any use of the Octagon™ competition mat, the Octagon™ cage and/or the Octagon™ logo in promoting mixed martial arts events, its website or merchandise. The Court found as a matter of law that the octagonal-shaped competition mat and fighting enclosure are distinctive trademarks and trade dress, have acquired secondary meaning and are inextricably linked with Zuffa and the UFC brand in the marketplace. The Court further determined that it was indisputable as a matter of law that TFA and Todd Meacham’s unauthorized and unlicensed use of an octagon-shaped cage and logo constituted Federal trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of Zuffa’s rights.

Dana White, UFC President, stated he is pleased with the court’s decision. “Everyone in this business knows that we vigorously defend our intellectual property rights,” said White. “We gave the TFA organization every opportunity to resolve this matter outside of Federal court, but Todd Meacham chose to invite high-cost litigation and burden our Federal courts with baseless defenses that were quickly disregarded by the District Court.” White added, “This strong and decisive victory for Zuffa sends a message that anyone attempting to illegally pass themselves off as being associated with the UFC, or that improperly uses our intellectual property, will be sued.”

In May 2006, Zuffa brought federal and state claims against TFA for trademark infringement, trademark dilution and unfair competition. On August 14, 2006, Zuffa also sought and received a preliminary injunction enjoining TFA from using an octagonal chain linked fence, an octagonal competition mat and from using an octagonal logo in the promotion of its events and merchandising. On July 2, 2007, Zuffa filed the instant Motions for Summary Judgment and for a Permanent Injunction against TFA, both of which were granted. It should be noted that Summary Judgment is not granted lightly by the courts. In this instance, the District Court decided that, as a matter of law, the defendants’ use of the octagonal mat and logo created a likelihood of confusion among MMA consumers that TFA events were somehow affiliated with, sponsored by or licensed by Zuffa or otherwise related to the UFC brand.

The octagonal competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks and/or trade dress of Zuffa, LLC and are symbolic of the highest quality mixed martial arts events presented under the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand name. In 1993, UFC events were the first to feature an eight-sided competition configuration which has become known worldwide as “the UFC Octagon” trademark.

The UFC Octagon trademark has become inherently associated with Zuffa and the UFC brand name among mixed martial arts consumers, other mixed