Shogun: “Wanderlei says I can beat Chuck”

Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua is looking forward to his fight with Chuck Liddell, and his old training partner and friend Wanderlei thinks he can take it. “Liddell is a good fighter, hits hard, but Wanderlei said that if I go there focussed and with gas, I can win this fight,” said Shogun.

Disappointed with his performance against Mark Coleman in January, Shogun has said he will be fully prepared for Liddell. “I will give the best of me in the next fight. I know my potential and I know where I can go. I don’t think about the belt now, I only think about Liddell, he deserves respect. Surely this is a fight that will put me forward, but I don’t believe in the belt yet.”

Mir-Lesnar off

One of the most disappointing pieces of news to land on our desk in some time has come with something of a silver lining. Originally scheduled to meet on UFC 98 in May, Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir were set to decide who would be the undisputed heavyweight champion. Mir had to withdraw from the fight due to recent knee surgery, meaning the bout will now take place on UFC 100 in July instead.

UFC eyes up New York

According to UFC insiders, progress is being made and we could be looking at a show in Manhattan “before the end of the year”. The UFC has encountered fierce resistance from the local government as they look to overturn the city’s 12-year ban on MMA.

The real reason for the hold-up of the UFC’s progress is that trade union officials within the New York area are acting in collusion with a Las Vegas-based trade union representing casino workers. The complex politics of the situation are thought to stem from an ongoing issue the Vegas union has with Station Casinos, UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta’s main business interest.

Still, UFC officials are confident they will host a show in Madison Square Garden before the year is out.

Rosi heads to Florida

Fighters Only’s own Rosi Sexton will head to Florida for a clash with American Top Team fighter Jessica Aguilar. Dr Sexton, the brains behind a series of articles in our Performance section, will fight for the first time since August 2008 when she makes her return to the USA.

Rosi has signed for Bellator Fighting Championships, which will air onESPN Desportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language sports channel.

Fighters Only Online

The Fighters Only website continues to grow with the addition of a brand new forum. Join other MMA fans to discuss what’s going on in the world of MMA, training and, of course, the magazine!

The Fighters Only blog features everything from stories of life behind the scenes of FO to videos of our sponsored fighters. From head kicks to meeting Kenny Florian: it’s all on there!

Yoshihiro Akiyama gets ready for the UFC

Japanese-Korean judo gold medallist Yoshihiro Akiyama is on his way to the UFC, and he’s got big plans already. He’s building a cage in his gym, and he will be training in Hawaii to improve his striking prior to his debut on US soil. “In terms of baseball, UFC is like the major league. I can gain a lot from going overseas and I really wanted to test myself before I got too old,” he said.

Akiyama, who holds a KO win over Denis Kang and trains with Yushin Okami and Caol Uno, wants to make a splash in the middleweight division, and has got his eye some of the biggest names out there. “The UFC is such a big event. I have many things to do before debuting and will learn a lot from Yushin Okami,” he said.

According to reports from Japanese media, Akiyama could expect to make around $800,000 should he win his fights.

The Ultimate Fighter 9: USA vs UK

Season 9 of the landmark TV series The Ultimate Fighter is about to get underway. April will see TUF back on our screens, and this time it’s got a unique twist: a team from the States will square up with rivals from the UK, led by coaches Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping.

Team USA lightweights: Paul Bird, Santino DeFranco, Jason Dent, Cameron Dollar, Tom Hayden, Waylon Lowe, Josh Souder, Richie Whitson.

Team USA welterweights: Ryan Bigler, Ray Elbe, Christian Fulgium, DaMarques Johnson, Kevin Knabjian, Mark Miller, Jason Pierce, Kiel Reid.

Team UK lightweights: James Bryan, Dan James, Gary Kelly, Jeff Lawson, Ross Pearson, Martin Stapleton, AJ Wenn, Andre Winner.

Team UK welterweights: Dean Amarasinghe, James Bateman, David Faulkner, Tommy Maguire, Che Mills, Nicholas Osipczak, Alex Reid, James Wilks.

The series will run from April, with the finale taking place on June 20 in Las Vegas.

QUICK HITS

Rashad Evans has signed a new contract with the UFC. No one is sure of the numbers, but the deal is worth “millions” according to insiders.
Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida will headline the TUF 9 finale on June 20th.
Japanese veteran Caol Uno makes his return to the UFC and will fight in Germany on UFC 99. His opponent will be Spencer Fisher.
Robbie Lawler returns in May and will fight on Strikeforce in San Jose. No opponent has yet been named.

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