|
|
49-year-old pro boxer “Irski” Chuck Shearns Hanging up gloves January 19th
|
|
WMMAA Celebrated Banner 2016
World MMA Championships team champion Russia on left, host team China on right
Monte Carlo, Monako (Januar 5, 2017)- In only its fifth year of existence, the World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) celebrated a banner year in 2016, as membership expansion approached 50 countries around the world.
The WMMAA sanctioned countries in five divisions – Pan-Am, Slovenija, Asia, Europe and Oceania – include Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenija, Aruba, Avstralija, Azerbajdžan, Belarus, Belgija, Brazilija, Canada, Kitajska, Chinese Taipei, Costa Rica, Hrvaška, Cuba, Češka, France, Georgia, Nemčija, Grčija, Guatemala, Madžarska, Indija, Iran, Italija, Kazahstan, Kirgizistan, Latvija, Mexico, Moldavija, Monako, Mongolia, Maroko, Nizozemska, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Portugalska, Romunija, Rusija, Srbija, Singapur, Slovaška, Južna Koreja, Španija, Tadžikistan, Ukrajina, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.
The highlight of the 2016 WMMAA season was the World MMA Championships, in which powerhouse, Team Russia completely dominated, as it also did in the European Championships, sweeping all seven weight classes in Studio City, Macau, Kitajska.
Skoraj 100 fighters competed, predstavlja 23 države: Rusija, Kazahstan, Španija, Avstralija, Belgian, Kitajska, Kolumbija, France, Češka, Hong Kong, Tadžikistan, Nemčija, Madžarska, Macao, Nepal, Indija, Južna Koreja, Ukrajina, Kirgizistan, Moldavija, Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei and Italy.
Ruski srednji Gamzat Hiramagomedov in lahka težka Magomed Ankalayev were repeat world champions.
Asian team champion Kazakhstan won two Silver and four Bronze medals in team scoring, followed in order by Ukraine with two Silver and two Bronze, Czech Republic captured one Silver and two Bronze, Chinas one Silver and two Bronze, Kyrgyzstan two Bronze, and one Bronze each for France, Indija, Spain and Moldova.
Below find results from each World MMA Championships weight classes:
BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION: -61.2 kg (135 lbs.)
1. Omar Nurmagomedov (Rusija)
2. Artur Mykytenko (Češka)
3. Mirat Bekishev (Kazahstan)
3. Chun Bo Yuan (Kitajska)
Peresno DIVISION: -65.8 kg (145 lbs.)
1. Kurban Taigibov (Rusija)
2. Elnur Valiev (Ukrajina)
3. Uulu Mustafa Rakhmatilla (Kirgizistan)
3. Roman Molodij (France)
LAHKA DIVISION: -70.3 kg (154 lbs.)
1. Murad Ramazanov (Rusija)
2. Sheng Liu (Kitajska)
3. Altynbek Bakhtygeldinov (Kazahstan)
3. Leos Brichta (Češka)
Welterweight DIVISION: -77.1 kg (170 lbs.)
1. Alibeg Rasulov (Rusija)
2. Goyta Dazaev (Kazahstan)
3. Syed Abdul Nazzeur Ibrahim (Indija)
3. Uula Tologon Rakhmanberdi (Kirgizistan)
Srednji DIVISION: -84 kg (185 lbs.)
1. Gamzat Khiramagomedov (Rusija)
2. Idris GHezalov (Ukrajina)
3. Murad Abdurahmanov (Kazahstan)
3. Rong Fan (Kitajska)
LIGHT Težji DIVISION: -93 kg (205 lbs.)
1. Magomed Ankalayev (Rusija)
2. Robert Lau (Nemčija)
3. Erkinbek Inzhel (Kazahstan)
3. Darwing Rodriguez (Španija)
Težji DIVISION: +93 kg (+205 lbs.)
1. Amirhan Isagadjiev (Rusija)
2. Alimanov Suleimanov (Kazahstan)
3. Viktor Pavlichek (Češka)
3. Nicolae Scorohod (Moldavija)
Go here to watch all the World MMA Championships final fights:
In other major WMMAA news from 2016, it was announced that the 2017 European Championships will be held September in Germany, 2017 Asian Championships will be October in Kazakhstan, exact dates and cities to be determined.
Prav tako, Viktor Frolov was elected president of the European Division at the last Congress, held last November.
INFORMACIJE:
Twitter: @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa
|
Sergey Romanov preparing to ruin Magomed Sultanakhmedov’s comeback party
|
M-1 Challenge 75, Marec 3 v Moskvi, Rusija
|
| ST. PETERSBURG, Rusija (Januar 5, 2017) – Hot welterweight prospect Sergey “Streetfighter” Romanov is training hard to ruin the comeback of Russian veteran Magomeda “The White Wolf” Sultanakhmedov in an interesting match-up Marec 3 na M-1 Challenge 75 v Rusiji.
The M-1 Challenge 75 Glavni dogodek, featuring a battle of undefeated welterweights between defending champion Alexey Kunchenko (15-0-0, M-1: 7-0-0), Rusije, takes on Kazakhstan challenger Shaukat Rakhmonov (7-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0),was previously announced.
M-1 Challenge 75 se bo v visoki ločljivosti prenašalo v živo iz Moskve www.M1Global.TV. Gledalci bodo lahko gledali preliminarne bori in glavno kartico s prijavo na registrirati www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all the action on their computers, kot tudi na Android in Apple pametnih telefonov in tabličnih.
Due to a series of injuries, Sulktanakhmedov (18-5-0, M-1: 10-1-0) has been inactive for the past five years, since he knocked out Tyson Jeffries in the second round of their 2011 boj na M-1 Challenge 24.
A former M-1 Selection champion, Sultanakhmedov is dropping down one weight class from middleweight to fight Romanov. During his MMA career, feared striker Sultanakhmedov has knocked out the likes of Dmitri Samoilov, Victor Nemkov, Pavel Kusch in Pliinio Cruz, Med več veljakov.
His tremendous flair and style makes him a fan favorite, especially his “one-shoot, one-kill” attack. The 32-year-old has fought outside of his native Russia, in the United States and Japan, and during his fighting hiatus he served as referee.
Although he isn’t looking past Sultanakhmedov, fellow Russian fighter Romanov hopes that an impressive victory over Sultankhmedov will position him for his first M-1 Challenge title shot against the Kunchenkp-Rakhmonov winner.
Romanov has had impressive victories in M-1 Challenge competition, including a decision over against Brazilian foe Carlos Pereira last October at M-1 Challenge 71, as well as a first-round stoppage via punches of Andreas Birgels this past June at M-1 Challenge 68.
“I’ve been working on my strength,” Romanov said from his training camp, “because the champion in my weight class, Alexey Kunchenko, is physically strong. I need to catch up. Not that I’m looking forward to a title fight, but I always have grandiose plans, tako, we’ll see how that goes. Sedaj, I’m focused on Sultanakhmedov, and I think my fight with him would be no harder than a possible fight with Kunchenko.
“I started training camp with two workouts a day, but I felt sick and decided to cutback to only one workout a day until I soon return to full mode. I’ve been training at home (St. Petersburg) but will soon go to Ryazan to wrestling training camp. Potem, I will go back to St. Petersburg to prepare at camp, and go to Borovaya for boxing. My opponent is left-handed, so I need appropriate sparring partners, but the guys in my camp are a great help.
“I know my opponent well having watched his fights as a youngster when he was champion. Zdaj, we need to reevaluate him. He was a good fighter who trains at ‘Gorets’ where there is, in principle, guys there who are top level. It’s difficult to say what form he has now because he hasn’t fought in so long. Zdaj, he is at the peak age for a fighter, 32, so we’ll see. I don’t think I’ll be favored in this fight, but I will go forward despite being the underdog.”
 Romanov (R) is a solid all-around MMA fighter
INFORMACIJE:
Twitter & Instagram:
@ M1GlobalNews
VFinkelchtein
@ M1Global
Facebook:
M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:
M-1 Challenge 74 – Februar. 18, 2017 – St. Petersburg, Rusija
M-1 Challenge 75 – Marec 3, 2017 – Moskva, Rusija
|
GERVONTA “TANK” DAVIS: TRAINING CAMP QUOTES
Mayweather Promotions’ Budding Superstar Risks Unblemished Record Against Undefeated, Respected IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Jose Pedraza Sobota, Jan. 14, Iz Barclays Center v Brooklynu & Živi na Showtime
 |
(Photo Credit: Amin Peters/Mayweather Promotions)
World Champions Badou Jack and James DeGale Clash
In Super Middleweight World Title Unification in Main Event
In Super Middleweight World Title Unification in Main Event
Kliknite TUKAJ za fotografije kampa za trening
Premier Boxing prvakov
BALTIMORE (Jan. 4, 2017) – Highly regarded Mayweather Promotions rising starGervonta “Tank” Davis (16-0, 15 Kos) is wrapping up training for his challenge of super featherweight world champion Jose “The Sniper Pedraza (22-0, 12 Kos) in the opener of a SHOWTIME PRVENSTVO BOKS world championship doubleheader on Sobota, Jan. 14, od Barclays Center v Brooklynu v živo na SHOWTIME (9:30 p.m. IN/6:30 p.m. PT).
The 12-rounder between the unbeaten challenger (Davis) and world champion (Pedraza) will precede an eagerly awaited 168-pound world title unification showdown between WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Badou Jack (20-1-2, 12 Kos)andIBF Super Middleweight World Champion James DeGale (23-1, 14 Kos).
Tickets for the event promoted by Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, začeti na $25. Jih je mogoče kupiti na spletu (www.ticketmaster.com,www.barclayscenter.com) ali pokličite 1-800-745-3000.
Davis, 22, overcame a childhood filled with hardships to become a prolific amateur and has been virtually unstoppable as a professional. Kot amater (med 2006-2012), he entered nine tournaments and came away with gold medals in all but one. He won gold in his last four tourneys, vključno 2012 National Golden Gloves Championship at 123 funtov.
Since going pro in February 2013, the strong, aggressive-minded southpaw has played smash-mouth against mostly outclassed opponents, zmagovalni 13 njegovega 15 knockouts inside four rounds. To many, Davis resembles a young, smaller version of Mike Tyson in the way he walks down foes, gets on the inside and unloads lethal hooks and uppercuts. He’s gone into the ninth round once and into the sixth round twice. A winner of six straight by knockout, Davis’ lone fight to go the distance came in his ninth outing, a six-round nod over German Meraz, who went down twice, v oktobru 2014. Davis is coming off a 0:41, first-round KO over Mario Macias last Junij 3.
Although powerful, very fast and determined, the talented Davis is taking a significant leap in class and he may enter the ring as a slight underdog to Puerto Rico’s Pedraza, 27, a solid switch-hitter with first-rate skills, gibanje in prebijanje moči. This will be Pedraza’s third defense of the IBF 130-pound title. He’s gone the 12-round distance four times in a row and five times since his pro debut in February 2011. At 5-feet-8½, he is two-and-a-half inches taller than Davis.
Davis, the IBF’s No. 8-ranked super featherweight, who was born and resides in Baltimore, shared thoughts on his upcoming fight from the Uptown Boxing Center in Baltimore:
You’ve been a professional for less than three years, yet you’re less than two weeks away from getting a crack at a world title. What are your thoughts about that?
“It’s been my goal to fight for a world title. Zelo sem prepričan,. I’ve worked hard in the gym for over two months for this fight. I’ve put in the hours. I’ve had a great camp with great sparring. I’m not surprised the fight is almost here. This is perfect timing for me.”
Have you done anything differently in this camp?
“Maybe some little things, but not really. We take training seriously. We take all our opponents very seriously. But I have to treat it as just another fight, against another opponent. We know Pedraza is a world champion, a great fighter that comes to fight and we give him his respect as a world-class fighter. I know he’s going to be ready. He’s always ready when it’s time to get in there and do his job. But I’m prepared for him. He doesn’t know what we bring to the table.”
Are you surprised you’re not favored? When was the last time you were an underdog?
“I’m the underdog because he’s the world champion, that’s the reason. Other than that, I feel deep inside that he’s the underdog, but that’s just my assessment. He won’t be showing me anything I haven’t already seen before.
“I’ve never been the underdog in a fight, so this is a first for me.”
When’s the last time you lost a fight?
“I’m competitive all around and don’t like losing. I can’t remember exactly the last time I lost a fight, maybe it was three years ago. All I know for sure is that my mind entering this fight is all about winning.”
Critics talk of your level of competition, or lack of. What’s your opinion of the fighters Pedraza’s successfully defended against lately?
“I’m not taking anything away from Pedraza; he’s beat Stephen Smith and Edner Cherry but those guys don’t bring the power, hitrost, elusiveness and angles that I do. I’m not downgrading anybody, but they’re mostly average.”
Are you looking at this as an opportunity to showcase your overall skills, durability, itd?
“A lot of people don’t realize the skills and talent that I have. They see me just going in there like a little Tyson or someone like that. But I have all the tools. I know how to box, how to move my feet. I have good hand speed. I work my angles and things like that. I’m an overall sound fighter, boksar-luknjačem.
“I think this will be a wakeup call for boxing, a chance to show that I’m the one. But I’m not coming to be just the top guy. I want to be a superstar and bring joy and entertainment to the sport. Pedraza will bring out the best in me and I will steal the show.”
How do you manage to stay in the moment, and not look back, or can you?
“I’m so thankful that I am part of a strong team, and that I have such a great team. I believe we have the greatest team in boxing. They keep me grounded, focused. They keep me from getting distracted. We all know what the main goal is. I can’t do it all myself, my coach can’t do it all himself, my manager can’t do it all himself. We believe totally in each other as a team. I listen to everything they say.”
How much is your past a motivation, or is it? When you look back at your life do you have memories or nightmares?
“I believe I’ve accomplished a lot. Me just being alive today, me not being in jail or in trouble outside the ring, it’s hard from where I come from. But it’s all helped me handle situations well. I’m so used to dealing with situations. I’m older and know what’s right from wrong. There’s never any pressure when I fight. I’ve won so many fights already I know what to do when I get in the ring.”
How long have you known Floyd? When did you meet him and how would you describe your relationship? What does it mean for Floyd to be your promoter?
“The first time I talked to Floyd (at length) was at the Adrien Broner-Shawn Porterfight (Junij 20, 2015). Me and Adrien, we’re friends and he flew me out to Las Vegas for the fight. I worked out at the Mayweather gym and Floyd liked the way I fought, my heart. But the first time I actually met and talked to him came when one of Floyd’s press tours came to Washington, Enosmerno.
“Floyd has always had a major impact on me and my career. I grew up around him. All of us wanted to be like him. Like Tyson and Ali were to the generations of boxers before me, Floyd was our superstar. For him to bring me under his wing, to fight for him, is unbelievably great.”
# # #
Barclays Center je BROOKLYN BOKS ™ programsko platformo je predstavil AARP. Za več informacij obiščite www.SHO.com/Sports
Undefeated Welterweight Prospects Miguel Cruz & Alex Martin Battle in Premier Boxing Champions on Spike Action Friday, Januar 13 od Hialeah Park Racing & Casino v Miamiju
|
End of Year Accolades Add To Excitement For Carl Frampton vs. Leo Santa Cruz Featherweight World Championship Rematch
|
|
HEAVYWEIGHT BRAWL PITTING CHEICK KONGO AGAINST OLI THOMPSON ADDED TO ‘BELLATOR 172’ ON FEB. 18
BATTLE OF UNDEFEATED ADAM PICCOLOTTI AND BRENT PRIMUS ALSO ADDED TO MAIN CARD
SANTA MONICA, CALIF — (Januar 4, 2017) - Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) will challenge Oli Thompson (17-9) during the main card of "Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione” na Februar 18, 2017 pri SAP Center v San Jose, Kalifornija. Poleg tega, undefeated lightweights Adam Piccolot (9-0) in Brent Primus(7-0) are also set to face off during the Spike-televised card.
V glavnem primeru "Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione,» Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) will compete on American Soil for the first since 2011, ko sreča Matt Mitrione (11-5). The event will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. IN/8 p.m. CT. Vstopnice za dogodek začeti na samo $30 and are available at SAP Center Box Office, Bellator.com and Ticketmaster.com. Additional fights will be announced in coming weeks.
Od vstopa v Bellator MMA Napeti v 2013, Kongo has strung together an impressive run that has seen him emerge victorious in seven of nine contests, including three consecutive victories. S 37 career fights under his belt, the Frenchman has tallied 25 profesionalne zmage, Vključno 12 by way of knockout. The knockout artist hopes to build off his victory over Tony Johnson at "Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson,» when he welcomes British sensation Oli Thompson back into the Bellator cage.
Hailing from East Sussex, Anglija, Thompson enters the matchup in search of his first career win under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion. Dating back to 2015, “The Spartan” collected wins in five of his last six bouts, including a pair of brutal first round knockouts. Of his 17 career wins, the 36-year-old powerhouse has finished 13 od njih, including seven knockouts. A former title-holder of Britain’s Strongest Man competition, Thompson will now look to add to that total when he and Kongo faceoff at SAP Center in San Jose.
Fighting out of Half Moon Bay, Kaliforniji., the undefeated Piccolotti is set to return to San Jose, where he has dominated competition over the past few years. Since signing with Bellator MMA, the 28-year-old lightweight has won all five of his bouts, including four consecutive victories in the “Capital of Silicon Valley.” Piccolotti dazzled in his most recent win over Brandon Girtz, ending the veteran’s three-fight winning streak while once again displaying his lethal combination of flawless jiu-jitsu and striking. Piccolotti has finished his opponent in six of nine career wins and three of his past four, making him one of the most dangerous weapons in the 155-pound division.
Primus also carries with him an undefeated target on his chest, as the battle to remain an unbeaten lightweights goes through SAP Center in 2017. Similar to Piccolotti, Primus saw immediate success in the world of mixed martial arts, recording first round finishes in each of his first five fights to begin his professional career. The five-time Bellator MMA veteran hopes to keep the ball rolling, as a win over the fan-favorite Piccolotti would certainly open a lot of doors. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the 31-years-old Primus hopes to build off of a 2016 campaign that was highlighted by a key win over Brazilian veteran “Toninho Furia.”
Posodobljeno "Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione” Main Card:
Težji Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) vs. Matt Mitrione (11-5)
Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) vs. Oli Thompson (17-9)
Lightweight Feature Bout: Adam Piccolot (9-0) vs. Brent Primus (7-0)
Preliminary Bouts:
Welterweight Prelim Bout: James Terry (18-9) vs. David Douglas (9-6)
Lightweight Prelim Bout: Nikko Jackson (1-1) vs. Cesar Gonzalez (0-1)
Featherweight Prelim Bout: Juan Cardenas (1-0) vs. Luis Vargas (0-1)
Welterweight Prelim Bout: Danasabe Mohammed (5-1) vs. Carlos Rocha (9-4)
Flyweight Prelim Bout: Anthony Do (4-1) vs. Bobby Escalante (4-5)
Flyweight Prelim Bout: Matt Ramirez (1-2) vs. Jeremy Murphy (3-3)
Lightweight Prelim Bout: J.J. Okanovich (3-1) vs. Paradise Vaovasa (5-1)
Featherweight Prelim Bout: Justin Tenedora (Debut) vs. Roque Reyes (0-3)
O Bellator:
Bellator is a leading Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Pod vodstvom veterana boj promotorja Scott Coker, Bellator je na voljo skoraj 500 v milijonih domov po vsem svetu v več kot 140 države. V Združenih državah Amerike, Bellator je mogoče videti na Spike, the combat sports television leader. Bellator je sestavljena iz izvajalske ekipe, ki vključuje vrhunske industrija strokovnjaki v televizijske produkcije, dogodek v živo orkestracija, razvoj fighter / odnosi, prizorišče naročila, Oblikovanje sponzorstvo / razvoj, licenciranje, marketing, oglaševanje, javnosti in provizije odnosi. Bellator ima sedež v Santa Monica, California v lasti zabava velikan Viacom, dom svetovnih premier zabavne blagovnih znamk, ki se povezujejo z občinstvom skozi privlačne vsebine preko televizije, motion picture, spletne in mobilne platforme.
Former world title challenger Jerry Belmontes officially retires
|
"Bellator 170: ORTIZ VS. SONNEN’ OFFICIAL CONFERENCE CALL QUOTES FROM TITO ORTIZ, CHAEL SONNEN, BRENNAN WARD, PAUL DALEY AND SCOTT COKER
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — (Januar 3, 2017) – Before the cage door closes at the Forum in Los Angeles, the main and co-main event fighters from "Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” participated in a media conference call. If you weren’t on the line, you can listen to it tukaj, or read a couple of the quotes below.
V glavnem primeru zvečer, Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) prevzame Chael Sonnen (28-14-1). Poleg tega, Ralek Gracie (3-0) in Hisaki Kato (7-2) will meet in a middleweight feature fight, medtem Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) in Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3) bitka. Nazadnje, a fantastic welterweight co-main event pitting Paul Daley (38-14-2) proti Brennan Ward (14-4) is also set for the Spike-televised main card.
Limited tickets for the mega-event start at $36 and are on sale at Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com. The event will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. The “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” undercard, streams live on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App beginning at 6:50 p.m. IN / 3:50 p.m. PT.
Q: For Paul Daley…We had a chance to talk before you were schedule to fight Derek Anderson at ‘Bellator 163.’ He made the weight, but the fight didn’t happen. Torej, what’s going to change this time? Are you going to do anything different in your preparation and what do you expect from Brennan Ward?
Paul Daley: Things didn’t go according to plan at the last event that I was scheduled to compete in. I made the weight, but it was what happened after that was the problem. Those problems have been ironed out and we should have everything back on track and I’m ready to compete in what is going to be the most exciting fight on the card.
Q: For Brennan Ward…Both of you have definitely delivered exciting knockouts in recent performances, so I want to know what your expectation of the fight is and if you think it will be a quick showcase.
Brennan Ward: They don’t just line two guys up like Paul and I for no reason — on a card like this, that is probably the biggest card of the year and one of the biggest Bellator cards of all-time == They’re putting our matchup on there for a reason. They know fireworks are going to go off and they know this fight isn’t going the distance. Paul and I end fights, it’s what we do. Like he said, we’re going to put on the most exciting fight of the night for sure.
Q: I know that clip of you and Tito wrestling in college has been going around, so what do you expect from Tito this time around compared to the Tito you saw back then?
Chael Sonnen: Poglej, Tito’s a great fighter. He was a hell of a wrestler…I caught him in one position in that match, I’m not hanging my hat on that. I’m pumped to be in there and compete against a Hall of Famer like Tito. I’m going to do everything I can to beat him, but I don’t dismiss how good this guy is.
Q: It’s been a while since we saw you in there with Liam McGeary in that title fight. Torej, from then to now, what’s changed and what are you going to show us?
Tito Ortiz: I’ve been at work now for three years. I came from the UFC and Bellator gave me a chance to reinvigorate my career and I want to leave on my own terms. I want to leave respectfully. Scott Coker has done an amazing job with the company already and I sat back, thinking about what would be my last fight. All of a sudden, I’m watching Bellator on Spike TV and Chael Sonnen comes screaming out, calling me a coward and saying that he wants to fight me and I swear there has never been a bigger smile on my face. I was already getting ready to fight in November. I wasn’t sure who my opponent was going to be, but I was getting in shape. I’ve been training now for almost four months and this is probably one of the longest camps I’ve had and it’s time to showcase my skills. Chael says he’s fighting because he’s jealous and that’s the wrong way to come into a fight. I’m going in to get redemption and to me Chael is my enemy. This is no game, this is nothing fun, this is what I do for a living. I train and I go out to try and hurt my opponent. I know what I need to do. I need to defend the takedown, I need to watch out for the punches, I need to watch out for the guillotine. I know all of the moves that Chael has done and my job is to go in and destroy him. On Januar 21, two days before my birthday, I want to get the ‘Fight of the Night.’ I hope Chael’s in great shape because when I’m on top of him, he’s going to shit himself. I’m going to throw my elbows through his face and like I said, this is no joke. This is serious to me because my family’s watching, my kids are watching, and all of my fans are watching. I’ve given so much for this and I’ve sacrificed everything. I sacrificed my Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my New Year’s for this.
Q: Of all the guys you’ve verbally dueled with in your career, how would you size up where Tito stands? How does he compare to other guys that you’ve gone back and forth with verbally?
Chael Sonnen: Man, it’s painful. It was painful just listening to him read through that list of notes. He just rattled off all of his bullets right there in one answer and I think he asked to go to the bathroom during it, which was a little weird. I don’t care, I never thought about Tito Ortiz. I didn’t come to this organization to fight Tito Ortiz. I’ve been chasing Wanderlei Silva around, but Wanderlei is busy until the summer. They called me and asked if I’d fight Tito on Januar 21 and I didn’t have anything else going on, so I said yes.
Q: Beyond this fight, what are your goals in Bellator?
Chael Sonnen: I want to compete at Bellator. I want to be a champion, get to the top, and compete with all the guys. I want to find a weight class. I’d like to do it at 205-pounds, but I think there’s an opportunity at 185 and now we have some big signings at heavyweight and catchweight too. I just think there’s a lot of opportunity over here. I can tell you as far as training, working hard and being prepared, that’s what I do. I do it every day. I will bring my skills to the fight and if they’re enough I’ll win; If they’re not, I won’t. That’s just the way that this sport is played and I’m just looking forward to competing with these guys.
Q: Coming back to compete in California, with your history with that athletic commission, you’ve already taken an out-of-competition test. How do you look at that process? Were you surprised by the test? Was there an understanding that it was going to be a part of the deal to get you back in California?
Chael Sonnen: I was surprised by it. That’s why the test works. I was not ready to be tested and I didn’t know that I was going to be tested and I haven’t thought about it a whole lot. You have to understand that when you’re a guy with my background that’s just coming off of a suspension, that’s the way it goes. You’re going to have more tests than other guys and that’s just fair.
Q: Končno, can you just size up the marketplace since you left UFC and since they’ve been purchased?
Chael Sonnen: Poglej, I’m brand new. I only know a few guys at Bellator. I know three people, that’s how new I am. I’ve been to two Bellator shows; one at Mohegan Sun Arena and one in San Jose. Both events were sold out! When I was in San Jose, I was sitting there and down the ramp comes the greatest heavyweight of all time, Fedor Emelianenko. Coker signed him and didn’t even say anything to anybody. The place was packed and the ratings were going higher. I wanted to come to Bellator when I saw Ken Shamrock walk the ramp and I thought this is awesome. Connecticut and then California, both sides of the country and both sold out. The household name that Bellator has become is amazing. I used to have to explain to people what UFC and what MMA was. When I tell people I’m with Bellator, they know exactly what it is. When Tito and I met in that college wrestling match, there was 80 people there tops, nobody cared. It was a big sacrifice just to show off in front of 80 ljudje. To show off in front of a sold out arena, a record-breaking show, is fun. We get Paul Daley and Brennan Ward to entertain us before we have to go out and take care of business.
Q: Tito, do you have any comment to Chael’s comments earlier about you reading from a script and all?
Tito Ortiz: This guy knows that he bit off a little more than he can chew. I’ve been through 20 years of competition, won world titles, and stepped into that cage over and over again. Dokaz je v puding. I’m sitting here listening to the tone that Chael has and it sounds like he’s drowning and on Januar 21, he’s going to be drowning in his own blood.
Chael Sonnen: I told you he was out of bullets! I warned you ahead of time!
Q: Chael, congratulations on Celebrity Apprentice last night…great to see you on the debut there. How difficult is it for you to balance the Celebrity Apprentice, ESPN, your podcast, and training all together?
Chael Sonnen: I hate days off. I hate it more than anything. When I look at my calendar before I go to bed, I hate seeing gaps in there. So as far as training goes, I’m in the gym three hours a day. It’s an hour in the morning, maybe even less, two hours in the afternoon, I’m out the door in three in a half hours tops. Torej, that leaves me with another 20 hours in the day and I like to fill it. I don’t like to sleep a lot and that’s just the way it goes. I like to stay busy, but nothing interferes with preparation for the competition. I haven’t missed a practice, a run, a workout, a sparring session; I go every day. I go to practice every day no matter what, dvakrat na dan. There are parts when I’ll pick up the intensity and work a little harder and then there are parts when I’ll take a break to get a drink of water, but it doesn’t change for me. Jaz sem pripravljen iti, to je to.
Q: Chael, I know you said that you had a little more of a looser camp, where you’ve trained with a lot of different fighters, especially due to all of the traveling. How has it been, having access to some elite fighters in other parts of the country?
Chael Sonnen: I love working out in other parts of the country and I love going to different gyms. And that’s something new to me, because I didn’t used to travel. I was just locked at home in Portland, Oregon, but we had a hotbed out there, with guys like Randy Couture and Evan Tanner, I could name drop for you and it would really impress. We had a really great system out there, but it dried up and some of those guys retired. Some of them moved away and some of the gyms closed down, so all of these new traveling has been great. I’ve got a lot of rounds in and worked out with Georges St-Pierre and a bunch of hammers out there that you’ve never heard of yet, but you will. I’m getting good work in and I’m learning from these guys. The one thing that I try to do, and I copied Randy Couture on this, is always train with the kids. He would be in high school workout rooms doing some wrestling practice and it was very hard for the next generation to ever get ahead of him because he always trained with that younger generation. Torej, I spend a lot of time with those kids and I have my own practices on top of that. I’m not positive that I can take Tito down, I’m not positive that I can out-box him; everything has to get better. I have to get stronger, hitreje, better with more technique and better strategy and it all takes time.
Popolna "Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” Main Card:
Light Heavyweight Main Event: Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) vs. Chael Sonnen (28-14-1)
Welterweight Co-Main Event: Paul Daley (38-14-2) vs. Brennan Ward (14-4)
Middleweight Main Card Bout: Ralek Gracie (3-0) vs. Hisaki Kato (7-2)
Peresno Glavna kartica Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3)
Lahka Glavna kartica Bout: Derek Fields (17-6) vs. Derek Anderson (14-2, 1 NC)
Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:
Peresno Predhodni Bout: Chinzo Machida (4-2) vs. Jamar Ocampo (2-0)
Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Jack May (8-3) vs. Dave Cryer (11-2)
Peresno Predhodni Bout: Henry Corrales (12-3) vs. Cody Bollinger (19-6)
Srednji Predhodni Bout: Kevin Casey (9-5-1, 2 NC) vs. Keith Berry (15-13)
Welterweight Predhodni Bout: Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos (8-3) vs. John Mercurio (8-7)
Welterweight Predhodni Bout: Gabriel Green (3-0) vs. Jalin Turner (2-2)
Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Christian Gonzalez (2-0) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (2-0)
Lahka Predhodni Bout: Jacob Rosales (4-2) vs. Ian Butler (3-2)
Welterweight Predhodni Bout: Johnny Cisneros (9-5) vs. Curtis Millender (9-3)
Lahka Predhodni Bout: Mike Segura (4-4) vs. Tommy Aaron (2-1)
Bantamweight Predhodni Bout: Rob Gooch (4-3) vs. James Barnes (6-2)
Optimizacija učinkovitosti Predhodni Bout: Rebecca Ruth (6-2) vs. Colleen Schneider (10-7)