Issue 084
January 2012
The sport’s strangest stories from around the globe
GUAM, PACIFIC RIM
PACIFIC XTREME COMBAT CONTINUES GROWTH
Guam-based promotion Pacific Xtreme Combat continues to flourish in the Pacific Rim following its 27th event. Going for nearly seven years, PXC boasts alumni such as UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson, Hall of Famer Dan Severn, lightweight Rich Clementi and welterweight Luigi Fiorvanti.
After a handful of successful events in the Philippines, the company returned to Guam, a 209-square-mile island 1,560 miles south of Tokyo, for PXC 27 in October where Baby Joe Taimanglo become the new featherweight champion. EJ Calvo, PXC general manager, said: “MMA fans in Guam are some of the best fans in the world, and they appreciate great battles… PXC fighters are the best fighters outside the UFC, and we will continue to give them opportunities to compete at the highest level of MMA in the Asia-Pacific region.”
CLUJ, ROMANIA
MAN DRESSED AS ANCIENT ROMANIAN WARRIOR WINS MMA BOUT BY SMOTHER
A 33-time, 360lb Romanian judo champion dressed as his version of an iron age warrior, or perhaps a Viking, recently won his eighth MMA bout in his home country. A Pride and Cage Rage veteran, 8-2 Alexandru Lungu stomped to the ring with an elaborate theatrical sword and a fur pelt across his shoulders – which one FO staffer noted looked more like a dead Alsatian than a glorious hunting trophy. It took Lungu 1:06 to mount and smother Chris Mahle with his un-chiseled physique for the submission victory. A bizarre sight.
US WRESTLING PROSPECT BURROUGHS LOOKS TOWARD MMA
Outstanding collegiate and freestyle wrestler Jordan Burroughs says he intends to start competing in MMA once his wrestling career is finished. Burroughs owns two NCAA Division 1 titles, at 157lb and 165lb, as well a gold medals at the 2011 freestyle World Championships and Pan American Games. The New Jersey 23-year-old told SBNation he wants to begin his MMA career in 2017 after he’s achieved his goal of bettering John Smith’s record as the greatest American wrestler ever. Burroughs said: “He was a four-time world champ and two-time Olympic champ so, for me, in order to catch him or surpass him, I’ll have to wrestle every Olympics and every world championship from now to 2017 and that’s the goal to win all of those and once I’m done with that, to try and get into MMA.”
UFC BRIT PAUL TAYLOR SUFFERS CAREER-TROUBLING CAR CRASH
The car crash that forced British UFC lightweight Paul Taylor to pull out of UFC 138 in November may be more serious than first thought. The exciting striker had been set to face Anthony Njokuani, but a violent shunt from behind while exiting a highway threw Taylor’s car off the road and left the fighter unconscious for some minutes. He told FO only days later the incident had left him without feeling in his left arm and an inability to taste. When we spoke to Paul, doctors were waiting for swelling to subside before making any definite assessments but believed the issue could take anywhere between two weeks and 12 months to resolve itself.
The FightMetric record for significant strikes landed by an individual in a UFC bout is held by Nick Diaz and earned during his decision win over BJ Penn at UFC 137
Anderson Silva’s manager Ed Soares has stated the 36-year-old UFC middleweight champion may only fight four more times before he retires
