Issue 035

March 2008

Warrior Women

March will the debut of all-female fight promotion Warrior Women, based out of Orange Country in LA. They’re promising decent matches, with quality fighters and “none of the exploitation or sleaze seen in other promotions”. That means fair fights at proper weight classes between proper professionals. For more info go to www.fightergirls.com.  

Lyoto Machida possibly title contender

Light heavyweight threat and possibly title contender Lyoto Machida has verbally agreed to a fight with Tito Ortiz. The Brazilian karate stylist has been hanging around the top ten light heavyweights for some time, and hasn’t lost in four appearances in the Octagon. Ortiz’s growing media commitments have had him out of action for some time, but he has also verbally agreed to the fight, expected to take place in May.  

Georges St. Pierre on his home turf

The UFC are to make their debut in Canada in April. They’re booked Montreal’s Bell Centre, a famous Ice Hockey stadium, and as expected Georges St. Pierre will top the bill in his rematch with usurper Matt Serra. Expect plenty of support for the French-Canadian and not much cheering for New Yorker Serra, who smashed GSP in their last meeting.  

Ricco Rodriguez & Ebay

Ricco Rodriguez has put his original UFC heavyweight belt (the title he took from Randy Couture and promptly lost to Tim Sylvia) up for sale on eBay. For a cool $30 grand (starting price) you too could have your own UFC championship belt.  

The next UFC in the UK has been postponed until June

Originally it was planned that the show would happen in Liverpool, but the arena wasn’t ready. Manchester and Birmingham were mooted as alternatives but realistically, with at least ten weeks required for tickets to be available and on sale, the earliest it could be held would have been April. With the UFC’s first foray into Canada planned for the 15th of the same month we’ll have to wait until June before they return. London’s O2 arena is widely expected to be the venue of choice.  

?Nick Diaz plots his return

EliteXC-signed badboy Nick Diaz has had surgery on his eye and will most likely return in April or May.  

Ken Shamrock & Son

Ken Shamrock, no longer the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Man’, but still a fan favourite to many, will fight in London for the first time on Cage Rage 23 on March 8th. Also fighting on the undercard will be his 19-year old first-born son Ryan, who fights at 135lbs.  

Daiju Takase coming the the USA

Daiju Takase will be coming to the USA soon, and is set to fight in the UFC. The Japanese super grappler holds a submission win over UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva. Some say he is among the best no-gi grapplers in the Land of the Rising Sun.