Issue 119

September 2014

Things we hear, things we see, things we know.

Andrei Arlovski attests to Pedro Rizzo's leg-kick power

Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski recently told Fighters Only that Pedro Rizzo’s famously powerful leg kicks hurt him so badly in their 2002 fight he couldn’t even get dressed properly afterward. “It was a good fight,” said Arlovski, who lost the bout by decision. “He threw a lot of low kicks and the next day I couldn’t even wear my pants because my legs were too swollen. They were black.”

UFC heavyweight Geronimo Dos Santos 'probably' got hepatitis during fight

Alex Davis, the manager of UFC heavyweight Geronimo Dos Santos, has warned about the dangers of not performing blood screening at MMA’s lower levels, saying the hepatitis B his fighter is being treated for was “probably” picked up during a fight. ‘Mondragon’ was to make his UFC debut in Brazil in 2012 until the promotion’s pre-fight medical exams found the Brazilian had the blood-born disease. Davis told mmafighting.com: “That’s the price you pay for fighting in promotions that don’t demand blood tests.”

Minnesota fighter given 20 percent chance of survival after bout is a 'mini miracle'

Minnesota-based featherweight Dan Kiser is recovering well after suffering a brain injury that caused him to lose consciousness while fighting at an event in Detroit Lakes in May. Kiser was given a 20% chance of survival by doctors after an upkick from opponent Frankie Johnson caused bleeding on the brain. Kiser, 12-3, fought on for 20 seconds before falling unconscious during a rear naked choke. When Kiser didn’t wake up he was taken to hospital by ambulance where he underwent emergency surgery. Despite a poor prognosis, Kiser has regained movement in his upper body and legs. Doctors have called him a “mini-miracle.”

UFC doing background checks on all fighters

The UFC is asking permission from its fighters to investigate their backgrounds. New and established names are being asked to release their medical, educational and criminal backgrounds, and to waive doctor-patient confidentiality. The promotion was recently forced to drop German welterweight Benjamin Brinsa when ties to neo-Nazi groups surfaced.