Issue 085

February 2012

The sport’s strangest stories from around the globe

NEW YORK, USA

HERB DEAN REFEREES MMA BOUT BETWEEN MOUSTACHES ON NATIONAL TELEVISION

Only days prior to picking up his second trophy for ‘Referee of the Year’ at our World MMA Awards in Las Vegas, Herb Dean was officiating perhaps the most intense bout of his career – a fight between two moustaches. The matchup, a clash between the lip warmer of Nintendo character Mario and the nose brush of US Republican Party presidential candidate Herman Cain, took place during popular talk show Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

The back-and-forth slobber knocker descended into chaos, however, when the hairy face caterpillars of Mario’s brother Luigi and The Waltons actor Walford Brimley attempted to interfere with the fight despite Dean’s best efforts. Mario’s bushy lip tickler would eventually emerge the winner and new Ultimate Mustache Fighter champion.

Rio De janeiro, BRAZIL

ANDERSON SILVA: GQ BRAZIL ‘SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR’ 

Forgetting that Fighters Only’s World MMA Awards are the only awards that matter, the Brazilian edition of GQ magazine recently felt the need to hand out a title of their own, naming UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva as their 2011 ‘Sportsman of the Year.’ The men’s publication gave ‘The Spider’ the accolade citing his win over Yushin Okami in Rio for UFC 134 and the proclamation that he is possibly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world as reason for his receipt of the ‘Sportsman of the Year’ title. Silva told the magazine: “I know that my victories helped the success in the sport. I’m glad that people talk on the streets; that the academies sign up new students. We need new idols.”

DREAM AND ONE FC TO CO-PROMOTE IN MARCH

Leading Asian MMA promotions Dream and One FC have officially announced a formal partnership. The agreement means fighters belonging to premier Japanese company Dream and combatants under contract to the influential Singapore organization One FC are eligible to compete for either promotion. The first true, co-promoted show between the two entities is planned for March 31st at the 12,000-seat Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Addressing the joining, Dream event producer Keiichi Sasahara said: “One Fighting Championship has the largest media platform in Asia, and many other assets. I see many great synergies with this partnership. It is certainly a new era for everyone in Asian MMA.”

M-1 GLOBAL AND BELLATOR BATTLE OVER IMPRESSIVE RUSSIAN 185LB’ER

US-based promotion Bellator and Russian organization M-1 Global are fighting for ownership of the services of lauded Russian middleweight Vyacheslav Vasilevsky. Nicknamed ‘Slava,’ the striker has fought around half of his 16-fight career in an M-1 ring and is currently enjoying a 14-bout win streak along with a 15-1 record. Bellator announced the signing of the 23-year-old Vasilevsky in November only for M-1 Global to declare it would be suing their former fighter for breach of contract, alleging he is still legally obligated to work for the European company. The situation had not been resolved at the time of going to press.

Exactly 11 days prior to his historic, title-winning bout against Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos tore the meniscus in his left knee, cartilage that disperses weight and reduces movement friction. The injury had him on crutches for two days, unable to walk

According to UFC boss Lorenzo Fertitta the promotion was taking a $16m hit in costs and lost revenue by putting the Velasquez-Dos Santos fight on free on television instead of pay-per-view