Next MMA Fighter

My day job requires me to travel some and this time it was to Reykjavik, Iceland. The day was a drizzly 58 degrees farenheit and the sun is out 20, or so, of the 24 hours of the day. I was able to drop by Mjölnir and connect with Gunnar Nelson, the Icelandic phenom that’s 6-0-1 in MMA and multiple first place finishes in BJJ tournaments at weight and open-weight anywhere from Iceland to New York.

I was hoping to take a BJJ or boxing class, since that has been most of my experience training in MMA. The only class offered that day was an MMA class led by Gunnar himself. Exactly what I was looking for.

The class was not unlike my BJJ classes so I was prepared for most of what I was dealing with. We did 15 minutes of warm-up, followed by 15 minutes of light rolling. It was a small class and conducted entirely in Icelandic. The guys were well versed in no-gi and I was having a lot of trouble with position. Really, really tough guys and I had to try really hard to keep up. The language barrier wasn’t much of an issue until we started the technique portion.The rest of the class was focused on some single-leg takedown techniques and I was able to follow most of what Gunnar was teaching by paying attention to his movement and grips. There were some specifics I wanted clarified and he was happy to describe it in English. Everyone in Iceland speaks perfect English but most are comfortable speaking their native tongue, obviously. I’ve had a lot of exposure to Icelandic so I didn’t mind. FYI, “single leg” sounds really similar in Icelandic and English. Not really hard to follow.

Gunnar was nice enough to take the time to talk to me for a minute and show us a Rear Naked Choke.

Coming up tomorrow night, Soco Mc Allister and Sportfight X are going to be putting on an unbelievable show in Atlanta. The featured bout is the finals of the Redline VPX 185lb Grand prix between Douglas Lima and Cortez Coleman.

The rest of the card is stacked with top talent from the Southeast and will surely be a great show. Previously featured fighter Byron Bloodworth returns to action along with UFC Veteran Diego Saravia stepping back into the cage. The card also features undefeated fan favorite and Ultimate Fighter 11 participant Warren Thompson. Definitely come on out if you can make the show or if you don’t live in the area you can watch the action through gofightlive.com

For tickets to the fight see the Sportfight X website here.

NextMMAFighter.com will be cageside bringing you live fight updates along with full round by round summaries to follow the day after the fights. The current confirmed Fight lineup is listed below.

PROFESSIONAL MMA
185 lbs Redline Grand Prix Finals Douglas Lima vs. Cortez Coleman

145 lbs Diego Saraiva vs. Dee Jay Fuentes

185 lbs Warren Thompson vs. David Vitkay

155 lbs Frank Millsap vs. Matt Covan

145 lbs Byron Bloodworth vs. Jarall Bowman

170 lbs Dhiego Lima vs. Kenny Moss

AMATEUR MMA
185 lbs Jeremy Wallace vs. Hamza Mutelib

This would have been a session to watch.

Gunnar Nelson vs GSP

More here: Pics of Gunnar and GSP

We spoke with Bobby after his win at Bangkok Fight Night 5.

We got the opportunity to speak with John Quieroz about his fight with Byron Bloodworth.

John, you’re undefeated coming into this fight. How do you feel?

I feel good and skinny. I’m in great shape and feel confident in my skills.

You train at X3 Sports now, tell us a little bit about your back ground and training going into this fight.

I been doing three a days for the past week. Rob Jacobs as my strength and
conditioning trainer and Toni Tucci as my MMA coach. Also having Donavan
Panone as my wrestling coach and Ranieri Paica as my BJJ coach. With tons
of training partners its been a tough training camp. I feel 100% ready. My
background is no mystery. Everyone knows that i am a ground fighter with
tons of cardio.

How has X3 improved your game?

Like I said before, they have great coaching staff. They been pushing me
hard to be ready for this fight. Between cardio and skills they have raised
my skills to another level.

You used to be at KnuckleUP and actually trained with your opponent Byron Bloodworth. How is your relationship with him going into this fight?

It is good friends. We have emailed each other back and forth making sure to
have a good show. We are both professionals and we plan on bringing the
best out of each other. This fight has been on my mind for a while.

If you could pick a pro in a major promotion that most accurately reflects your style, who would that be and why?

GSP. He has the same style as me so that is the best to describe my style.

Tell us about your goals for your professional fighting career.

I would like to get to the WEC and be one of the top contenders for the
belt.

Is there anyone you would like to thank going into this fight?
All my trainers and training partners as well as my family. Also my
girlfriend that had to put up with all my weight cutting.

Good luck to you and we’ll see you on Saturday.

We got the pleasure to visit with Eric Koch who is an unbelievably dangerous fighter at 145 and has just received word that he will make his WEC debut on September 2nd in Youngstown, OH against highly touted Brazilian Wagnney Fabiano. Eric is a very cool down to earth dude who has worked real hard to get where he is today.

NextMMAFighter : Thanks for taking the time to talk with us Erik, first tell us a bit about yourself and why you chose your current training camp?

Erik Koch : Well I grew up in Cedar Rapids, IA and still live here today. Hybrid faction is old school and it was started by my brother. I started training at the age of 13 and that’s were I started and got my roots, but things have changed now. We are now team Hard Drive and have been tearing it up for about 3 years now while looking to make the team even stronger and well known.

NextMMAFighter : After more then a year layoff, you won twice in one night at the Midwest Cage Championship : Last Man Standing event. Tell us about how you pulled off 2 wins in a single night.

EK : Lol, that’s hard training on display right there man! I loved fighting two fights in one night it definitely makes you feel good. It was also a great way to come back after a year lay off.

NextMMAFighter : Touching on your layoff between 2007 and 2008, can you tell us about why you took a break from the fight game?

EK : This was due to some personal stuff and mostly me being stupid. During this time I was always training, but with a girlfriend and a bunch of fights falling through I just didn’t have as much drive. I can tell you now though that I am more dedicated then ever and nothing is going to get in my way.

NextMMAFighter : If you were going to tell an aspiring fighter that there was one thing they needed to be successful in MMA, what would it be.

EK : Good attitude man, this game is mostly mental and the mind controls everything from the way you train to the way you fight. The mind its definitely the best weapon any fighter can have and you need to know how to use it right.

NextMMAFighter : If you could compare yourself and your fighting style to another well-known fighter who would it be.

EK : Too many to name man, I mean there are so many good fighters now days that I think I could compare myself with any top tier fighter. Theres no question that you have to be good at everything now, its not the old days.

NextMMAFighter : How do you balance your life outside the cage with the demanding training regiment of a professional fighter?

EK : I train full time and I love it! It doesn’t pay good and there are some hard times, but in the long run its worth it.

NextMMAFighter : As you have won almost all of your fights by stoppage, are you confident in your cardio to carry you for 3 long rounds if necessary?

EK : Hell yeah! All I do is train so I’m in good shape all the time, plus I feel better the longer the fight goes on to tell you the truth. Wherever the fight takes me, Ill always be ready.

NextMMAFighter : For being so successful in MMA at such a young age of 20, how do you handle the extra attention that comes from being a Pro fighter?

EK : I block out all of this talk because yes I’m young, but I still have a career to worry about. I still have to keep racking up the wins because the sport is growing so much. In my division, there’s no question that its a race to the top.

NextMMAFighter : As many fans are getting to know you and want to see you fight, when can we expect to see you back in the cage?

EK : As some of you may already know I’m going to be fighting in Youngstown, OH on September 2nd. I cant wait to get in there with Wagnney. Stay tuned!

NextMMAFighter : We appreciate you taking the time to talk to us and wish you the best of luck in your next fight at WEC 43. In closing is there anyone you would like to thank?

EK : First, I would like to thank my family most of all. They have helped me so much and without them I would not even be a fighter today. I would also like to thank my teammates as they are the coolest guys I have ever met and I am proud to call them all my friends.

Best of luck to Erik at WEC 43, well be watching!

After watching Lyman Good absolutely tear through everyone he fought on his way to Bellator gold, a lot of MMA fans must wonder about this relatively unknown fighter. Not only did he win, but he absolutely dismantled the guys he fought in the Bellator Fighting Championship, finishing every single one of his opponents in decisive fashion.

Although Bellator had pegged him as an early favorite, it wasn’t any less surprising how easily he was mowing through his opponents. A self-proclaimed family man, Lyman is a dude with ridiculous strength. In fact, he is absolutely huge for his weight class. More and more, we are seeing bigger guys in each weight class manhandling their opponents, and Lyman is no exception.

From what we saw in Bellator, what’s next for Lyman? Is he ready for the big time right now, or does he need to fight through some more mid-level competition first? It’s worth nothing that in his first 6 fights, he only fought one guy with a winning record; admittedly, though, his competition was stepped up in the Bellator Tournament. His situation reminds me a bit of Carlos Condit, who dominated his level of competition and decided to step into deeper waters. I don’t know how Lyman would fare in the UFC, but something tells me he is going to be hella fun to watch develop.

I had the pleasure of covering the Strikeforce: Challengers card in person from Kent, Wa this evening. Internet issues kept me from bringing this event to you live, however, I have my play-by-play below.

MAIN CARD

Joey Villasenor (26-6) vs. Evangelista Santos (16-12)

Preview : Our main event features Joey Villasenor vs Evangelista Cyborg Santos. Villasenor had a huge win over Phil Baroni in last years Elite XC’s saturday night fights. He trains in Greg Jackson’s gym with notable fighters as Rashad Evans and Keith Jardine. Santos is a Brazilian-born fighter fighting out of the Chute Boxe Academy. Santos has lost 3 of his last 4 and is looking to make a comeback in tonight’s main event.

Round 1 : Cyborg starts by throwing some mean leg kicks. Villasenor yet to connect. Villasenor charging up the whammer. Really wants to send Santos home in a box. Villasenor seems to be dropping his hands when he jabs into position. surely a liability. another big looping right from Villasenor. the fighters move to a clinch. Villasenor throws and elbow in that clinch. fight is taken to the ground where neither fighter can improve position significantly. Villasenor manages to move to side control. Santos works his way up and they stand. they circle each other some and throw punches. the round comes to a close.

Round 2 : Much like the first round Villasenor looking to bring it home and Santos throws kicks to keep range. they engage in a flurry and both take some damage. santos clinches up and they separate. Santos takes a big right on the way out. Villasenor on the hunt. Santos throws more leg icks. Villasenor seems to be damagin santos with some leading left hooks and flurries on the inside. They get into close quarters and Villasenor lets go. Santos looks to take some shots but does not go down. round 2 times out.

Round 3 : Leading into this round, both guys look real tired, breathing out the mouth. Villasenor is favoring that left leg that Santos is targeting. Villasenor shoots the double, Santos clinches up and comes down in Villasenor’s guard. Villasenor escapes and they stand. santos is gassed and villasenor stil presses. villasenor cut santos in an exchange. villasnor is changing levels to take advantage of santos’ waning strength. both fighters connecting on jabs. any power punch landed could do it. villasenor tries to land a couple looping rights. santos throws four or five more head kicks. sensing the closing time they leave it all out on the mat and throw the rest of what they got. round 3 ends.

Villasenor wins by split decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28

Nick Thompson (38-10-1) vs. Tim Kennedy (9-2)

Preview : Nick “The Goat” Thompson fights our of Minnesota Combat sports with the likes of Sean Sherk, Brock Larson, and Brock Lesnar. Thompson is a decorated veteran of the cage, won 14 out of his last 15 fights, and wins over Eddie Alvarez and Josh Neer. He takes on Tim Kennedy, full-time fighter, full-time soldier, full-time hero. Tim makes his way into the ring for the first time since late 2007 where he knocked out Elias Rivera in the IFL Grand Prix Final. Yet, the bookmakers have Tim as the favorite in this fight. Anything can happen.

Round 1 : What Kennedy gives up in reach he makes up for in strength and athleticism. Kennedy went for a shot but Thompson managed to roll out of it and go for a kimura. Kennedy has his back but Thompson maintains wrist control. Kennedy slips his hands out and works the back. it’s a wonder if there is room under that beard. Thompson slips out, Kennedy takes the back again and delivers a great under the armpit shot. Kennedy is dominating on the ground. Kennedy moves from side control to mount, Thompson defends and Kennedy is brought to half guard. Kennedy swivels around to side control and onto the back. Thompson keeps trying to work an arm submission to make Kennedy give up position. Kennedy answers with gnp. Kennedy stays on top and the time runs out.

Round 2 : The second round starts a little slower this time around, Kennedy throws a looping right to set up a single leg. goes to he waist and drags Thompson to the ground. they fight for position until Kennedy delivers some shots from the top. after a few, the goat taps to strikes.

Kennedy wins by Submission (Tapout due to strikes) @ 2:37 of Round 2

Jorge Gurgel (12-5) vs. Conor Heun (8-2)

Preview : Jorge Gurgel is a UFC veteran with a BJJ background. Gurgel came under fire in his UFC days for not employing his great jits. He stated that he was worried about having an exciting fight versus a tactical one and promised he’d start coming away with wins. The man in his way is Conor Heun. Conor “The Hurricane” Heun is an IFL and Elite XC veteran who has a great record of 8-2. 9-2 if you count the kid he beat up on Jason Miller’s show. Will Gurgel realize his former glory or will Heun trail blaze to the top of another organization?

Round 1 : Fighters come out and touch gloves. sizing each other up with some probing jabs. gurgel connects with a right cross, no apparent damage. gurgel keeping distance with leg kicks. they exchanges some body blows in a half clinch. they seem content with trading one for one with a number of their exchanges. hey’re just about evenly matched on the feet. gurgel edgin out the battle with leg kicks. heun throws a loping right that’s countered by Gurgel. heun knocked to the ground and Gurgel let’s him back up. what will likely end in disaster for Gurgel. you’re just not supposed to let the guy up when you’re the superior jits practitioner. some jabs and counters. gurgel ith a series of leg kicks. Heun connects with a straight right. and continues to pres the action. connecting with a pair of jabs.

Round 2 : Gurgel steps in with a good straight right. again the end up standing in front of each other and trading blows. I feel Gurgel losing in these wars of attrition. gurgel’s leg kicks, however seem to be taking a toll. gurgel connects with a right head ick. takes an uppercut and returns the favor. both fighters taking significant damage. more punches traded and they clinch. heun throws the decapitator and misses. gurgel is bleeding from the eye and mouth. hooks mis and we almost see a mutual knockout. gurgel is relentless. heun, while having taken many strikes, is much less damaged than gurgel. This is a banger, folks. the round ends and the crowd goes wild for these two warriors.

Round 3 : The fighters are less inclined to stand and trae. each picking their spots. again, gurgel the superior bjj practitioner standing up from an advantageous position on the ground. heun continues to stalk gurgel. heun catches a kik and brings gurgel to his back. gurgel easily reversed position and is in heun’s half guard, then to side control. gurgel backs off and stands up . gurgel circles away as heun throws kicks and hay makers to put an end to the fight. heun connects on some counter punches and continues to hunt gurgel down. The crowd goes nuts as the 3rd round time lapses.

Gurgel wins by unanimous decision 29-28, 30-27, 30-27

Sarah Kaufman (8-0) vs. Shayna Baszler (9-5)

Preview : Shayna Baszler is coming off a tough KO loss to the reporter-choking Cris Cyborg. She’s going to make it her mission to put that first blemish on the talented Sarah Kaufman’s record.

Round 1 : Both fighters trade some punches. Kaufman may be geting the better of the exchange. Baszler trips from the clinch and takes Kaufman down. Baszler is able to GnP some and eventually get north-south, the crowd erupts, obviously. baszler goes for a choke an kaufman sweeps to take top position. kaufman pushes baszler up against the cage and delivers some punishment from the top. The fighters are stood up after some moments of inactivity. Baszler is consistently looking to take this to the ground while kaufman defends. They trade some strikes in the clinch and baszler tries for a judo throw or two. They get separated for inactivity and the round comes to a close.

Round 2 : They keep it standing and trade some punches. kaufman moves to clinch up. releasing from the clinch kaufman connects and continues to press the advantage. she sends a flurry or two and seems to hurt balzser for a moment. kaufman throws some jabs to penetrate guard and throws a right. kaufman now, dictating the pace. balzser has nowhere to go pressed up against the cage. kaufman gets in and gets out delivering strikes and getting clear. they finish the round with a number of wild strikes.

Round 3 : Baszler takes some strikes and shotts. kaufman ends up on top and punches her in half guard. baszler is able to get her into full guard. kaufman gets up and they are on their feet. the fighters clinch up. baszler goes fora judo throw and kaufman has a throw of her own. kaufman is showing great boxing stance and discipline. kaufman delivers a left-right combo and goes in for the kill. kaufman connects a few more times and baszler clinches up. after a failed judo throw baszler drops between her legs to try for a leg submission. kaufman defends and escapes to standing as the time runs out.

Kaufman wins by unanimous decision. 29-28,30-27,30-27

Cory Devela (9-2) vs. Luke Rockhold (4-1)

Preview : Cory Devela is looking to avenge his recent loss against Terry Martin and Luke Rockhold is the man in his way. Cory has a 2008 victory over the dangerous Joe “Diesel” Riggs and is hoping to put another one in the W column. Luke just fought in Shamrock vs Diaz and came away with an impressive first round submission over Buck Meredith. Should be a Jiu-Jitsu clinic.

Round 1 : Fighters come out and OH MY GOD Luke delivers a huge shot, rocking Cory. Some hammer fists on the ground and Luke takes his back to lock him in an RNC

Rockhold wins by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) @ :30 of Round 1

UNDERCARD

Dennis Hallman (40-12-2) vs. Cedric Marks (26-18)

Preview : Dennis “Superman” Hallman has been in the fight game a long time. He’s got over 50 fights under his belt with 2, count ‘em, 2 wins over MMA legend Matt Hughes. Cedric Marks is an XFC veteran that comes at you with full force. His record is littered with wins like “submission to strikes, exhaustion, and injury”. He’s a forced to be reckoned with and has the tank to go all the way.

Round 1 :
Hallman wins by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) @ :27 in Round 1

*Justin Davis replaced Cedric Marks in this bout.

Brian Caraway (10-3) vs. Alex Zunica (2-1)

Preview : Brian Caraway has a record of 10-3 with appearances is Strikeforce and EliteXC. He has most of his wins by rear naked choke and is just coming off an impressive first round victory over Daniel Stenovich at CageSport MMA. Alex Zunica has 2 straight wins that came by way of a recent TKO and an impressive spinning backfist. Let’s see if he can keep the streak alive.

Round 1 : The bell rings and Caraway throws a feeler jab and shoots for the single taking Zunica down. pressed up the cage caraway is able to move into half guard. no appreciable damage for either fighter. fighters move for position but they appear to be equals on the ground. caraway uses the cage to push into zunica’s side control and deliver some gnp. caraway establishes north south position and pull zunica away from the cage. caraway moves back into the half guard to throw some more punches ala Randy Couture. Caraway constantly smothers zunica and moves to take his back. caraway puts both hooks in and stretches zunica out. caraway softens zunica up from the back. znica attempts multiple escape maneuvers but caraway is able to stay on his back. caraway puts his arm under zunica’s chin and begins to choke him out as time expires.

Round 2 : The two combatants touch gloves and Caraway shoots again and gets an easy takedown. Caraway is soon able to take zunica’s back again and place himself in the position he was in only moments ago. caraway is able to mainain the back and punch zunica in the head a few times. he gives it up and lets the fight come back to the feet. caraway connects on an uppercut and the crowd reacts. zunica is swinging for the fences. caraway clinches him up with an over-under and drags him to the ground in half guard. caraway pushes zunica’s knee down and gets mount. caraway drops some bombs and zunica rolls to his back. caraway corrects and gets back in mount. the round times out.

Round 3 : Zunica walks back to his corner with a cut under the left eye, he wipes with his hands and licks the blood. If i had 4 hands, I’d be taking pictures. caraway flying knee, zunica spinning backfist, neither connect. caraway shoots and zunica defends for the first time. they clinch up. zunica throws a knee, loses balance, and is brought to the ground. caraway quickly takes his back, but is rolled into zunica’s half guard. zunica moves to sweep only to lose the leg he had and caraway takes side control. caraway is able to move to zunica’s back once again. ots of back and forth on the ground. and the round finally comes to a close.

Caraway wins by unanimous decision

Lyle Beerbohm vs. Duane Ludwig (18-8)

Preview : Lyle Beerbohm has an impressive record with wins coming by TKO, submissions, and only a single decision. He likes to finish fights any way he can. Duane Ludwig is a seasoned veteran having fought the likes of BJ Penn, Tyson Griffin, Takanori Gomi, with wins against Yves Edwards and Jens Pulver. This will be Lyles toughest fight in his unblemished career. Should be exciting.

Round 1 : The fight begins and Beerbohm shoots immediately for the double. takes ludwig down but he is able to walk it back up the ring. beerbohm shoots for the single and takes him down in side control. ludwig maneuvers around to tput him in guard. as they’r rising ludig delivers and illegal leg kick to the head, gets a point deducted. beerbohm looks fine. beerbohm shoots again, ludwig sprawls but beerbohm fllows the knees ending in a takedown. beerbohm in ludwig’s half guard. ludwig maintains both underhooks and both butterflies keepin the action at a standstill. beerbohm moves around and gets back into half guard. beerbohm is able to gnp for only one significant shot. ludwig is cut but deending well on the ground. beerbohm sweps over the back and lands in a schoolyard choke. ludwig taps out.

Beerbohm wins via Submission (Schoolyard Choke) @ 4:27 of Round 1

Landon Showalter (7-12-1) vs. Travis Doerge (4-8)

Preview : In spite of Landon Showalter’s losing record he’s fought some of the toughest in the sport and went the distance with guys like Chris Leben and Pete Sell. Travis Doerge is coming in to try to get his record back on track and add to his submission trophy display.

Round 1 : The fighters immediately enter a clinch and exchange some punches and knees with no clear advantage for either fighter. Stork is able to trip Showalter to the ground and get into side control. Stork goes for the back and Showalter is able to escape. They reenter clinchland. Showalter is able to disengage from the clinch and deliver two punches and an elbow. Stork seems unfazed. They go back into the clinch. Both fighters clinch and disengage to deliver devastating punches and elbows. Stork seems to have a chin of pure granite. 6 seconds left. a big elbow exchange and the round times out in a clinch.

Round 2 : Stork presses the action and gets a few shots for his trouble. showalter gets some love back and reestablishes the clinch. showalter goes for Stork’s back unsuccessfully and takes a big shot to the mouth. Stork is able to get around showalter’s back and nearly deliver a belly-to-back suplex. Stork takes showalter’s back for a few seconds but showalter is able to escape. Showalter delivers punch after punch and a leaping knee to try to knock this tree down to no avail. back in the clinch Stork take more shots and tries to take showalter to the ground to keep from taking damage. they stand back up and immediately enter the clinch. more punches and another knee for Stork. one minute left. Stork maintains his composure and delivers some body punches that are answered by body knees. Stork works around to get showalter’s back. showalter drops to put on a toe hold but Stork is able to sweep to side control and GnP for a few seconds when the time runs out.

Round 3 : Showalter tries to keep his distance for the first time and sends kicks and punches fling. Stork works his way in for another clinch and they exchange some blows. showalter is definitely winning the exchange on the feet but doerge is relentless. for the third time doerge is able to move around showalters muay thai clinch andg get his back. he takes him to the ground and starts working some side control that moves to north-south. Stork almost chokes him out with a darse choke but is too tired to complete. he assails showalter on the feet wiht his hands down throwing leg kicks for little damage. both fighters at the end of their energy throwing everything they have left in the clinch. seemingly with no guard they slug it out in the middle of the ring and clinch back up. punches and elbows fly until time runs out. two warriors, truly.

Showalter wins via unanimous decision

Len Bentley (3-2) vs. Marques Daniels (1-2)

Preview : Len Bentley is coming off 2 tough losses but has the ground skills to be a force in this fight. He’s got 3 of his professional wins by arm bar submission. Marques Daniels has a ground and pound game but may choose to keep it standing because of Len’s jits credentials.

Round 1 : Both fighters came out standing. Daniels got caught with a left and Bentley capitalize, jumping into half guard and subsequently taking his back. Bentley got a body triangle in place but Daniels was able to roll over into Bentley’s guard. after some posturing Bentley was able to get Daniels into a triangle that Daniels shook out of. they make it back to their fet and exchange a flurry neither worse for wear. Bentley has a kick blocked and falls to the ground with Daniels over him in his guard. after some positioning Daniels is able to take Bentley’s back and pick him up and slam him. the round times out with no more damage delivered.

Round 2 : Both fighters keep it standing and Daniels seems to be getting the better of the exchanges. one notable right cross stuns Bentley. Daniels delivers another jarring left jab. Daniels motions bring it and Bentley hits him with a huge right hook dropping Daniels. Bentley is able to take his back and deliver a ton of punishment. Bentley tries an RNC and an armbar before Daniels is able to recover, turn over and get into Bentley’s guard. Bentley attempts another armbar and aborts when he is seemingly gassed. Daniels is back in his full guard. the fighters are stood up by the ref and the round times out when Daniels connects with a superman punch right at the bell.

Round 3 : Bentley seems tired bu presses the action. neither fighter connects with his combos as they try to pick each other apart. Daniels connects with a big right cross and shoots for the single. Bentley is taken to the ground and manages to hold on to Daniels long enough to get stood back up. Daniels uses kicks to keep the distance while Bentley presses forward. Bentley throws a knee that’s caught and is taken down again. Daniels delivers some standing blows and Bentley gets up. they exchange a few kicks and Bentley is taken down again finishing the round and bringing us to our first decision of the evening.

Len Bentley wins by unanimous decision

Steve Hadsel (2-0) vs. Taylor Roberts (1-1)

Preview : Steve Hadsel looks to improve to 3-0 while Taylor Roberts tries to tip his record to the winning side. Steve says he’s in the best shape of his life and wants to win by KO or TKO. He’s physical guy with good stand up and likes the slams. Taylor is also a striker. Look for this one to be a banger.

Round 1 : They sized each other up for the first few seconds until Steve threw a few punches penetrating Taylor’s guard. One shot proved fatal and dropped Roberts causing the ref to come in and stop the fight.

Steve Hadsel by TKO in the first round at 17 seconds.

NextMMAFighter recently sat down with Ururahy Rodrigues (2-0) of Defkon 1 MMA to ask him some questions about his upcoming fight. We discuss what drives him to be the best, how he gets motivated to train, and what are his goals as a Mixed Martial Artist.

1. NextMMAFighter: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Ururahy. First, tell us a bit about yourself and your gym, Defkon 1 MMA.

Ururahy Rodrigues: I am a simple person who believes in God, my family here in America and Brazil, my friends, and my students. Defkon 1 is my house where I teach, train, eat, and sleep, thinking of the next training day. We attempt to help all people who want to increase their quality of life through martial arts training.

2. NextMMAFighter is a site dedicated to finding the next up-and-coming stars in MMA, and now is as big a time as ever for new talent entering the sport. What do you bring to the table that sets you apart from everyone else?

Many athletes work in other areas; I do not! I live for the sport I believe in. I do not care whether people talk good or bad for my sport, and I feel that coaching helps people believe in themselves regardless of who they are or where they come from. The rest is left in the hands of God.

3. Your first 2 pro fights have lasted less than a minute in total. If you have to go the distance with someone, do you feel you are prepared to do so?

I am very prepared to hurt my opponent. The time is not important, whether it takes seconds, minutes, or hours. Even if he was to win, it would have been such a battle that his mother would beg him to quit the sport. Ha ha.

4. What are your ambitions in your Mixed Martial Arts career?

My ambitions have been the same for many years — only to beat anyone who chooses to fight me and show the world that I am the best. I would like to be known as a great human being and an athlete who has devoted my entire life to the sport.

5. What type of fighting style do you think best describes you?

My background is in capoeira and jiu jitsu. Before having structured training, I grew up very poor and learned the basics of fighting in the street. One of the greatest memories of my childhood was when my father saved enough money to purchase my first gi. I represent the poor who have had few opportunities in life to succeed or even have [no] money for food and shelter.

6. Leading into your fight on Saturday night, what is the most exciting moment in your young MMA career?

The ability to thank Jesus for yet another victory in my life. My family, my friends, and my students smiling and saying, “Good job, Ururahy!” That for me is very rewarding.

7. What is your definition of a Mixed Martial Arts champion?

Dedication, loyalty, determination, and to have the opportunity to help others through their good and bad days.

8. We appreciate your taking the time to talk to us and wish you the best of luck on Saturday. In closing, is there anyone you would like to thank for helping you get ready for this fight?

I would like to first thank God for giving me the health to confront any lion that is put in front of me. I would like to thank my family in Brazil and also Defkon 1, who have always believed in me. I would also like to thank my friends, students, and the United States, which I love very much. My thanks is with God until the next show.

Special thanks again to Bryan Dean, Ururahy Rodrigues, and the entire camp at Defkon 1 MMA in Villa Rica, GA. NextMMAFighter will be covering MMA at the Westin live and in person on Saturday night in Atlanta, GA.

To hold you over, we have attached one of Ururahy’s very quick wins.

Bellator will hold their final show of their initial run as a MMA promotion on Friday and we are very much looking forward to it. Bellator has done an outstanding job of putting on great fights with alot of fighters that are on the brink. When we first heard about their promotion I think we all expected mediocre success, but we would be lying if we didn’t acknowledge that some spectacular Knockouts have certainly helped their success.

If you aren’t familiar with Bellator, they held 4 weightclass tournaments over a 12 week period with other random fights on the undercard. So far they have crowned champions in the featherweight (Joe Soto) and welterweight division (Lyman Good). On Friday night the lightweight and middleweight champs will go home with the Bellator belt and $175,000.

My only beef with Bellator is that its broadcast in spanish only, so if you want to watch it live you need to have ESPN Deportes. Bellator does however, release the previous weeks event broadcasted in english and free online. Keep an eye on this promotion and go to an event if it comes near you because the chances are that you will get to see a highlight reel KO given their track record.

Scheduled Fight Card
Lightweight Championship – Eddie Alvarez (15-2-0) Vs. Toby Imada
Middleweight Championship – Hector Lombard(19-2-1) Vs. Jared Hess (8-0-1)
Sami Aziz(2-1-0) Vs. Fabio Mello(5-6-0)
Jorge Masvidal (16-4-0) Vs. Eric Reynolds (11-2)
Sergio Morais Vs. Josh Martin (6-2-1)
Valerie Coolbaugh(3-1) Vs. Rosi Sexton(8-1)
Troy Gerhart (5-0) Vs. Luis Palomino (9-4)
Stephanie Guimaraes (0-1-0) Vs. Jennifer Klosptoff