Issue 091
August 2012
Things we hear, things we see, things we know
Former Octagon girl going for 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro
Former UFC Octagon girl Natasha Wicks (right) is aiming to make the US Olympic running team for the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro. The 27-year-old, also a model and a current ring girl with all-female MMA promotion Invicta, told the Las Vegas Sun she wants “to compete on a national and world level in the 5K, 10K and half-marathon and dominate the Olympic trials and then place in the top three at the Olympics.”
Understand MMA business with UFC vet Matt Lindland
Want to learn the intricacies of business in the world of mixed martial arts? You can with former UFC middleweight Matt Lindland via a little-known online course. The Greco-Roman Olympic silver medalist is mentor to students of the eight-week mixed martial arts management program from Sports Management Worldwide. The course costs $995 and promises to teach the ins and outs of MMA via online discussion with Lindland.
‘Big Nog’s career to hit the big screen
A documentary on the life of former Pride heavyweight champion, and UFC interim heavyweight champion ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira is in production. Minotauro: The Life of the Legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is expected to be released in 2013 and is directed by Fernando Serzedelo, who has helped produce a number of Hollywood movies. Serzedelo told Tatame, “Movies will humanize [fighters] and having them turned into humans, people can relate to them more.”
Fast and Furious role for Carano?
Strikeforce female fighter Gina Carano has been cast for the sixth installment of the Fast and Furious movie franchise, it is rumored. Due for a May 2013 release, the series’ previous movie, 2011’s $125 million budget Fast Five, grossed over $626 million at the box office worldwide. That film’s stars, Vin Diesel, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Paul Walker, will reprise their roles in the sixth movie. Carano was due to return to the ring in mid 2011, for the first time since a TKO loss to ‘Cyborg’ Santos in 2009, but withdrew from the bout for unspecified reasons.
