Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Reports: Ex-WWE stars to fight in MMA bout
Former WWE superstar and NAIA national wrestling champion Bobby Lashley will compete in his second pro fight against one of MMA's early ancestors, Ken Shamrock on March 21 in Pensacola, Fla., according to reports.
At 32, Lashley is 13 years younger than the UFC Hall of Famer. But at 45, "The World's Most Dangerous Man" possesses a wealth of experience with an illustrious career competing in Pancrase, PRIDE FC and the UFC.
Shamrock, the founder of the Lion's Den, rebounded from a five-fight losing streak when he submitted Ross Clifton in the first round on Feb. 13 at a Wargods and Ken Shamrock Productions co-promoted event.
With a record of 27-13-2, Shamrock has compiled victories over Masakatsu Funaki, Bas Rutten, Dan Severn and Kimo Leopoldo. Three losses to former UFC poster boy Tito Ortiz gained Shamrock much exposure, but by then his best days were behind him.
Shamrock is no stranger to professional wrestling fans. The Macon, Ga., native has kept up with his MMA training during stints in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), Ring of Honor and TNA Wrestling. He became WWF intercontinental champion during his time with the promotion from 1997 to 1999. In May 2002, Shamrock joined the upstart TNA Wrestling organization and became the promotion's NWA heavyweight champion.
A novice in the sport, Lashley has gained media attention following the success enjoyed by UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar when he made the transition from amateur wrestling to MMA.
Lashley took to the sport like Lesnar and could become a considerable force given his size and wrestling background. He has found a new home with the highly regarded American Top Team camp coming off a successful run with World Wrestling Entertainment where he became the promotion's ECW champion.
n his MMA debut for the World Fighting Alliance promotion in December, Lashley beat Joshua Franklin in just 41 seconds when the referee halted the bout due to a cut, giving Lashley his first win — a first-round TKO.
The intriguing heavyweight bout is on a card set to feature two other mixed martial arts bouts in addition to several boxing matchups. In heavyweight action, former IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson takes on controversial UFC veteran Jeff Monson. Meanwhile, Seth Petruzelli will compete for the first time since debunking the myth of Kimbo Slice at EliteXC's final event last year when he meets former WEC light heavyweight champion Doug Marshall.
The "March Badness" event will feature Roy Jones Jr. in the main event as he takes on Omar Sheika.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Pennsylvania Legalizes Mixed Martial Arts Fighting
from msnbc.com
events -- like the popular
Ultimate Fighting Championshipare now legal in Pennsylvania and can be promoted in Pittsburgh.
Regulations much like those that already apply to boxing have been approved for MMA fights and will take effect on Friday, according to a news release from the State Athletic Commission. (
)
(Pictured right: Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture for the UFC heavyweight title)
The state said it anticipates regulating as many as five MMA events per month, which may generate as much as $80,000 per year in revenue for the athletic commission.
Locally,
is one of the most well-known MMA fighters from western Pennsylvania. Born in Waynesburg, he won the NCAA championship at 174 pounds as a wrestler at Edinboro University.
According to the new regulations, all professional and amateur MMA fighters in Pennsylvania must be licensed in the state and pass a physical examination by a state-approved doctor before they fight.
Insurance is required for fighters and referees, and an ambulance and emergency personnel must be at ringside during fights.
"These efforts will assure licensure and testing of participants for communicable diseases, as well as require emergency medical care and insurance for participants. Regulation of the sport also will help ensure that events are orderly and crowd control is maintained," Pedro Cortes, secretary of the commonwealth, said in a statement.
Other states that have legalized MMA fighting include New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, California, Nevada and Florida.
A full list of Pennsylvania regulations is posted on the
State Athletic Commission's Web site
. Here are some of the highlights:
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sanchez Wins
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Saturday, February 21, 2009
The Start of an Empire - UFC's worst nightmare
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