Issue 100
April 2013
3 Rounds of action
1 COUTURE SIGNS SPIKE TV DEAL, WILL APPEAR IN BELLATOR REALITY SHOW
UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture has inked a deal to appear in programming for US cable channel Spike, and his first role will be coaching on Bellator MMA’s forthcoming reality show. At the time of going to press an official announcement had not been made, but the agreement between Spike, the former TV home of the UFC, and former UFC 205lb and heavyweight champion Couture is reported to be a multi-year deal.
FO SCORE: This is m a major coup for Bellator. As recently as December, Couture was one of the broadcast analysts for the UFC on its mega-exposure Fox 5 card, and now will be seen by MMA fans endorsing the product of the UFC’s closest rival. The move could lend some significant credibility to the Bellator product, and is reminiscent of when Bellator’s Spike TV cousin, TNA Wrestling, secured the services of WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan.
2 STRIKEFORCE CHAMP MELENDEZ TO GET SHOT AT UFC 155LB BELT
The last-ever Strikeforce lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez, has been booked for an immediate UFC 155lb title shot. Strikeforce, Melendez’s last promotional home, closed its doors in January. The bout, with reigning UFC belt holder Benson Henderson, has been signed for April’s UFC on Fox 7 in San Jose.
FO SCORE: We couldn’t be more for Melendez having a crack at Henderson for his first trip into the UFC Octagon. Essentially this is a superfight that’s flying completely under the radar. Plenty of people have Gilbert as being potentially the best lightweight in the world, and with a 21-2 record he couldn’t be more deserving.
3 ‘KING MO’ WANTS BOXING BOUT WITH KIMBO SLICE
Bellator light heavyweight ‘King Mo’ Lawal recently revealed his desire to box ex UFC heavyweight and boxer Kimbo Slice. Lawal told Fight Hub his Bellator contract allows him to compete in boxing. “But the thing with the contract is that we got to agree on the opponent,” said Lawal. “But someone like Kimbo Slice? I’d be alright. We could hype that up, they can get behind me.”
FO SCORE: It could generate a significant amount of casual fight fan interest in Lawal, however, with Mo’s promising pro wrestling and MMA careers to consider there’s the potential he could be spreading his time a little too thin with the addition of boxing.
“I predict that I’ll lose one day to somebody… It’s probably a guy who’s young right now and is extremely dedicated to the sport.”
ON THE RADAR
Three red-hot prospects worth keeping an eye on...
1 Ryan LaFlare, 7-0
Despite New York welterweight Ryan LaFlare only competing for New Jersey promotion Ring of Combat in his 100% finish 7-0 career, he actually secured a Strikeforce contract in 2011. However an injury meant he never appeared in the big show and combined with Strikeforce’s inactivity he was kept out of action for the duration of 2011 and 2012. But a third-round armbar win in his January 2013 return showed his well-rounded skills hadn’t depreciated. He’s the Ring of Combat welterweight champion, competing on the same circuit that has produced plenty of UFC talent, such as former champ Frankie Edgar.
2 Takasuke Kume, 15-1-4
In 15 wins, Japan’s Takasuke Kume has 11 submissions, one doctor stoppage and only three decisions. The rest of his record – which includes competition in Japan, Korea and Austrailia – is rounded out by one decision loss, and four judges’ draws. Impressive, and overdue a test in the upper echelons.
3 Ivan Jorge, 23-3
There are plenty of Brazilian hot shots with small-show win streaks but Ivan Jorge’s various runs have included some names, such as warhorse Daniel Acacio and jiu-jitsu champion Steve Magdaleno. He’s 32, so could be a less appealing pick-up than a young prospect, but you can’t argue with a 58% stoppage rate.
QUOTES
“I predict that I'll lose one day to somebody… It's probably a guy who's young right now and is extremely dedicated to the sport.”
Brain. Cannot. Comprehend. Jon Jones loss.
“He hit me up with the whole, ‘I’m gonna sue you’ routine and I hit him back with the whole, ‘I’ll kick your ass’ routine. That’s it, that’s where it ended. I thought he was going to go through with the lawsuit but he did not.”
Chael Sonnen recalls the time discredited cycling champion Lance Armstrong took issue with Sonnen’s 2010 assertion that Armstrong “he did drugs, and he gave himself cancer”
“There’s a lot of misconceptions about me, that I’m out there, I’m the promotion killer, I’m the this, the that. If you ask most of these promotions that we bought they’ll tell you they’re pretty f**king pumped we bought them because they were upside down, millions of dollars in the hole and we came and basically saved them.”
Save your fan boy hate, says UFC president Dana White
“I always got into it and went, ‘How cool would it be if I could be the CEO of a mixed martial arts organization on television. That would be bitchin’ beyond my wildest dreams.’ And it actually happened. So I never even think about that (selling Bellator). Because then I would be like, ‘Well, what would I do? Like, work out a lot and hang out with the dog?’”
Bellator’s not for sale, says CEO Bjorn Rebney
JAIME PRESSLY - STAR SIGHTING
Who? Actress best known for playing Joy in sitcom My Name Is Earl
Where? UFC 155,
Las Vegas, Nevada.
A known UFC fan for a number of years now, this isn’t the first time Pressly has been spotted cageside. Snappers have caught her at events as far back as UFC 59 in 2006.
REWIND ¦ FAST FORWARD
Legend reborn: linking two combatants – one past, one present
Lightweights with a submission win rate of 80% or better
GENKI SUDO
Once fought wearing: A tracksuit
Had a pop career with a group named: World Order
JOE ‘J-LAU’ LAUZON
Nicknamed after a pop star’s nickname: Jennifer ‘J-Lo’ Lopez
Once fought wearing: So much blood it looked like he was wearing a tracksuit
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