MMA Universe

Strikeforce has now officially crowned it's second female champion as hard hitting Canadian Sarah Kaufman captured the promotion's inaugural welterweight title earlier tonight in the main event of "Challenger Series VI" from the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, California.

Here's how it all went down.

The Canadian brawler needed all five rounds and a judge's decision to claim her new crown, but make no mistake about it, she dominated Takeya Hashi tonight for all twenty five of those minutes.

The Japanese import proved to be resilient, showing a ton of heart by bouncing back numerous times from flooring right hands by Kaufman. But in the end, the grappler hand no answer for the striker.

Kaufman out-boxed Hashi all night long with jabs, combinations, and devastating right hands. She did a nice job mixing in the inside leg kick as well, which only helped in setting up her punches.

The undefeated Zugec Ultimate Martial Arts member's takedown defense deserves a mention as well. It was believed that Hashi would look to take Kaufman to the ground early and often in this fight, but Kaufman was able to keep the action standing for pretty much the entire fight by showing an excellent sprawl and by keeping good separation with her striking.

It wasn't the highlight reel knockout Kaufman was hoping for, but this win was still impressive for the new champion. After the fight she spoke about not being able to get the finish.

Here's a snip:

"She (Hashi) put up a great fight and was hard to finish because she was constantly moving. It was really hard to get a lot of clean shots consecutively on her, mostly because she did have good movement and she was kind of hard to pin in a corner and catch with the cage being as big as it was."

Regardless, Sarah Kaufman is the first ever Strikeforce female welterweight champion and the future looks bright for her in this sport.

In the co-main event of the night a promising slugfest between M-1 Global prospect Karl Amoussou and journeyman Trevor Prangley was brought to a premature and unfulfilling end when the Frenchman suffered an injury from an accidental eye poke by Prangley with less than a minute remaining in the first round.

The first four minutes of the fight weren't without some excitement and a few fireworks though. Both men, especially Amoussou, got off with some big punches. There's no doubt that the fight was on it's way to some sort of highlight reel finish.

Strikeforce will likely look to turn this unfortunate turn of events into a positive by booking the rematch for sometime in the very near future. Keep your ears open for that announcement. It seems like a no-brainer.

Highly touted American Kickboxing Academy product Luke Rockhold extended his streak of five straight wins inside the first round to six tonight with a technical knockout drubbing of former "Ultimate Fighter" contestant Paul Bradley. The AKA trainee used his height as an advantage by landing numerous kicks and punches that had the shorter and less skilled Bradley off balance right from the opening bell.

It was a dominating win for the San Jose resident who has now undoubtedly earned himself a step up in competition for his next fight. He appears to be the real deal and a potential force in the Strikeforce 185 pound class.

Expect to hear the name Luke Rockhold a lot more going forward.

Team Quest welterweight prospect Tarec Saffiedine had an impressive showing in his Showtime debut by picking apart San Jose native James Terry with a precise and technical stand-up attack. "Sponge" improved his overall MMA record to (8-2) and looks to be a solid addition to the Strikeforce roster.

And finally, in the opening bout of the Showtime telecast, undefeated fighers Yancy Medeiros and Raul Castillo went the distance in a three round middleweight contest. Medeiros dominated the fight with superior stand-up and excellent takedown defense, winning easily on the judge's scorecards.

That's a wrap from San Jose.

To check out the complete results and our coverage of the event click here.

Next up for Strikeforce is a return trip to the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California for Strikeforce Challengers 7: "Johnson vs Mahe" on Friday, March 26, 2010, at 11 p.m. ET on SHOWTIME. Lavarr "Big" Johnson and undefeated prospect Lolohea Mahe will headline the event in a heavyweight battle.

Brazilian jiu jitsu experts Luke Stewart and Andre Galvao are also booked to clash in a welterweight affair, and Ron "Abongo" Humphrey, Miesha "Takedown" Tate, Justin "The Silverback" Wilcox and others will also be in action in Fresno.

Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for more on that developing fight card and all your Strikeforce news and notes. For Strikeforce Challengers: "Kaufman vs. Hasi" live results and play-by-play click here.

Maximum Fighting Championship held "MFC 24: Heat XC" at its familiar stomping ground of River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on February 26, 2010. The last event to be held at the said venue, MFC 24 signals an end of era of sort, as the promotion strives for further growth.

Despite a lack of marquee names on the card, the event did not disappoint, as the main card featured a rapid-fire series of quick knockouts.

Kicking off the main card, the Bodyshop Fitness fighter, Jesse Juarez rode his momentum to earn an ultra-quick finish over Nathan Gunn. As soon as the opening bell rang, Gunn charged forward, but missed his first strike. Juarez wasted no time to counter, and landed a devastating head kick that left Gunn motionless at 0:11 of the opening frame. This was Juarez's second appearance in MFC and he is now on a seven-fight winning streak since losing to Luke Stewart in Strikeforce in September, 2008.

The Southampton, England native, Tom "Kong" Watson scored the second head kick KO of the night over KOTC/Pride/Elite XC veteran and local favorite, Travis Galbraith. After a tentative start in which Galbraith struggled to take Watson to the mat, "Kong" exploded for a headhunting opportunity and landed a head kick that ended Galbraith's night at 1:56 of round 1.

In the co-main event of the night, Dwayne Lewis and Ryan McClain vied for the MFC Light Heavyweight title. From the opening round, both fighters engaged in a busy, striking battle. They exchanged combinations and mixed in a little clinch game, with Lewis likely coming out ahead on points at the end of round 1. Lewis continued his onslaught in round 2, landing a big punch that dropped McClain. Once on McClain's back, Lewis worked for crucifix position and battered his opponent with punches and elbows until the referee evenutally halted the fight.

Finally, in the main event of the night, the UFC and Pride veteran, Yves Edwards collided with fellow UFC veteran, Derrick Noble. After a tentative start to fight in which both exchanged kicks and landed occasional combinations, Edwards landed the first big strike, stunning Noble with a left hand. The pace slowed down once again and fighters got back to trading strikes piecemeal. With less than thirty seconds left in the round, Edwards pounced at Noble with a huge straight right. He then followed Noble to the floor and finished the fight at 4:44 of round 1 via TKO. With the victory, the self-proclaimed "thug-jitsu" expert has pieced together a three-fight winning streak since suffering back-to-back losses against KJ Noons and Duane Ludwig in 2008,

Full result:

Preliminary Card
Zach Blaber def. Eric Chouinard by submission (kimura) at 1:17 of Round 1
Garret Nybakken def. Chris Barber by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:30 of Round 1
David Letourneau def. Nick Hrynchyshyn by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Dami Egbeyemi def. Paapa Inkumsah by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

Main Card
Jesse Juarez def. Nathan Gunn by KO (head kick) at 0:11 of Round 1
Dwayne Lewis def. Ryan McClain by TKO (ref stoppage due to strikes) at 2:08 of Round 2
Tom Watson def. Travis Galbraith by KO (head kick) at 1:56 of Round 1
Yves Edwards def. Derrick Noble by TKO (strikes) at 4:44 of Round 1

• Strikeforce Answers Questions: Profits, Branding, & Decision Making
• Strikeforce Fighters to Appear on CBS Show ‘NCIS: L.A.’
• Mixed Martial Arts a growing sport in the Heartland
• Mixed martial arts adds economic punch
• Georges St. Pierre in New Under Armour Commercial

Strikeforce Answers Questions: Profits, Branding, & Decision Making

SI.com: What is it about your business model with Strikeforce that leads you to believe it will be successful for mixed martial arts? And has it been effective so far in terms of holding events, making money, being sustainable?

Goddard: We are making money. We believe it is sustainable. We believe we’ve got the right combination of expertise in the MMA business and business acumen, business sense. We are operating in a business-like way from the beginning. From the beginning we are making money, and we expect both the revenues and profits to grow over time. For that reason we believe it’s very sustainable. We think there’s plenty of room in the MMA business given the growth of the MMA industry for perhaps a second or even other participants. We’re excited about both the live-event business and the broadcast business. The growth of the sport and our role in that. We think we’re poised to be a leader in that industry.

SI.com: As a brand, how much value does Strikeforce have right now? How much has it grown since SVS&E’s involvement?

Goddard: We think it’s got a lot of value at the present time, especially among the core MMA audience. We do believe it needs more exposure and more recognition. We need to grow the exposure and recognition among the general sporting audience. We think both the live events help that on a market-by-market basis. Certainly the events on Showtime have helped that. And the broadcasts on CBS helped that immensely. We acknowledge that we need to grow that in the general viewing audience.

SI.com: Some of the critics of the way Strikeforce is operated say there are too many chefs in the kitchen, so to speak. Decisions are slow to get made. What would you say to those critics?

Goddard: I would simply disagree. Scott is running the company on a day-to-day basis. He has the authority to make decisions that need to be made. We’re in regular communication with each other so we can reach each other on a moment’s notice. We compare notes regularly. Whenever you’re starting and/or growing a business in its early stages, there are complexities. Both with live events and broadcast events there complexities. The fact of the matter is things are not necessarily as easy as they may appear to be from the outside. There are complexities which sometimes take time and effort to work through.  (Sports Illustrated)

Strikeforce Fighters to Appear on CBS Show ‘NCIS: L.A.’

Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez and former titleholders Josh Thomson and Cung Le have been cast in an upcoming episode of CBS’s “NCIS: Los Angeles,” shooting next week in Hollywood, Calif.

Strikeforce fighters Dan Henderson, Frank Shamrock and K.J. Noons have also been cast in the episode.

“NCIS: Los Angeles” stars Chris O’Donnell and L.L. Cool J as agents with the Navy’s crime investigative service.

The fighters will play themselves as Cool J goes undercover as a mixed martial artist to investigate the death of a Marine, “tied to the world of MMA.” Referee “Big” John McCarthy has been tapped to play himself during an event sequence.

The MMA-centric episode is expected to air in April. “NCIS: L.A.” airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on CBS.   (Sherdog)

Mixed Martial Arts a growing sport in the Heartland

Participants say it’s one of the oldest sports in the world, we’re talking about cage fighting.

You may know it as mixed martial arts fighting, or MMA, it’s also one of the fastest growing sports in the world and here in the Heartland.

Since the ancient Greeks the sport of Pankration or cage fighting as it’s now known started out as an Olympic sport.  It’s popularity with spectators has grown rapidly in the past five years.

“The obvious conclusion, I think people are out there they’re looking for something that’s quick fast and there’s an ending to it. There’s hardly a question as to who wins and who loses.”

It’s a full contact combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques.

“In my opinion there’s no bigger rush than walking out to your music and seeing everybody, the cameras going off everyone cheering and then once you get in that cage it’s one on one.”
…

It’s that rush from the action inside the cage that is propelling audiences across the Heartland and the world to mixed martial arts fighting and pushing the sport to rank with the top sporting events in the world.

“More like an explosion, we’re just about to overtake soccer worldwide that includes South America, that’s a pretty big deal.”  (Channel 12 Heartland News)

Mixed martial arts adds economic punch

Efforts are under way to bring a major mixed martial arts event to the Bradley Center now that a state law regulating the sport has been enacted.

Bradley Center management hopes to secure a deal to bring an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event to the downtown Milwaukee sports venue some time this fall, Bradley Center president and chief executive officer Steve Costello said.

“We believe the event would be extremely popular,” Costello said. “Mixed martial arts has proven to be a very popular sport that has come into its own.”

A UFC event at the 18,000-seat Bradley Center likely would sell out quicker than a major concert and be a financial boon to the facility, Costello said.  (Milwaukee Business Journal)

Georges St. Pierre in New Under Armour Commercial

It’s certainly not news that Georges St. Pierre is a superstar in the world of MMA. But as MMA continues to creep into the mainstream, Georges is leading the charge. Already appearing in Affliction’s mainstream magazine ads and Gatorade commercials in Canada, somewhat under the radar, St. Pierre signed with Under Armour last November and began to pimp their products. The latest commercial features GSP alongside Olympic legend Michael Phelps and NFL prospect Dez Bryant. The commercial itself is amazing, but more importantly for the sport, it puts MMA and one of its athletes in the same breath with Phelps (worldwide megasuperstar) and America’s most popular sport, football.  (Heavy) … (MMAPayout Perspective)

IMAGE OF THE DAY

QUICK HITS

• Strikeforce Returns to CBS on April 17 (Sherdog)
• “Strikeforce Challengers VI: Kaufman vs. Hashi” play by play and live results (MMAJunkie)
• Gilbert Yvel to meet Ben Rothwell, not Pat Barry, at UFC 115 in Vancouver (MMAJunkie)
• Herschel Walker Yes, Jose Canseco No for Strikeforce (MMAFighting)
• Strikeforce, Showtime Give Female Fighters a Big Stage (MMAFighting)
• OLIVEIRA IN AGAINST WINNER AT UFC FIGHT NIGHT 21 (MMAWeekly)
• BELLATOR WELTERWEIGHT TOURNEY PAIRINGS (MMAWeekly)
• Liddell naked video “was Reebok advert’ (Fighters Only Magazine)
• Leites, Teixeira Win at Bitetti Combat 6 (Sherdog)
• White’s nightmare continues: Mainstream media still loves Canseco (Cage Writer)
• Barry, Cro Cop Agree to Battle of Strikers at UFC 115 (Heavy)
• Etim vs. Dos Anjos, Davis vs. Gustafsson set for UFC 112  (FiveOuncesOfPain)
• THQ versus Electronic Arts (ESPN)

TV LISTINGS

• HDNet Fights Presents K-1 Classics (Hari vs Bonjasky) at 8 PM ET on HDNet (02/26/10)
• InsideMMA (Dominick Cruz, Alan Belcher and Karen Darabedyan) at 9 PM ET on HDNet (02/26/10)
• HDNet Fights Presents The Featherweights, Vol. 2, at 10 PM ET on HDNet (02/26/10)
• Best of Pride FC at 10 PM ET/PT on Spike (02/26/10)
• Strikeforce Challengers: Kaufman vs Hashi at 11 PM ET/PT on Showtime (02/26/10)
  

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Strikeforce Challengers: Kaufman vs Hashi at 11 PM ET/PT on Showtime (02/26/10)
• WEC 47: Bowles vs Cruz on at 10 PM ET on Versus (03/06/10)
• HDNet Fights: Sengoku Raiden Championship 12 at TBD on HDNet (03/12/10)
• HDNet Fights: XFC X-Night of Champions at 10 PM ET on HDNet (03/19/10)
• UFC on Versus: Vera vs Jones at 10 PM ET on Versus (3/21/10)
• HDNet Fights: King of the Cage – Legacy at 10 PM ET on HDNet (03/26/10)
• Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs Mahe at 11 PM ET/PT on Showtime (03/26/10)
• UFC 111: GSP vs Hardy at 10 PM ET on PPV (03/27/10)
• UFN 21 : Florian vs Gomi at 10 PM ET on Spike (03/31/10)
• The Ultimate Fighter 11 Debut after UFN 21 on Spike (03/31/10)

Chuck Liddell and girlfriend Heidi Northcutt have made an appearance in what appears to be a viral marketing video for athletic apparel maker Reebok. The video is shot from the perspective of a peeper as the couple workouts out in a private gym without any clothing, except Reebok shoes.

Payout Perspective:

It’s a good approach for a brand that’s increasingly becoming a little more edgy in nature. The strength of the video is not just the fact that both are naked, but also that it sort of fits the party-boy image that Liddell has maintained over the last few years.

Obviously, it’s of additional interest to the MMA community because of Liddell’s involvement; and my feeling is we’re likely to see a lot more companies using MMA personalities in the future (although not necessarily in naked clips) for these types of campaigns. The fighters already have an edgy appeal and and the young consumer identifies with these cheeky videos.

Canadian and UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre makes his debut in Under Armour’s spring advertisement series with the latest Under Armour – I Will Protect This House commercial spot.

Payout Perspective:

St-Pierre signed the ground-breaking endorsement deal with Under Armour in early November of 2009, but the bulk of his involvement is now just beginning to take shape. If you’re a brand looking to reach the MMA demographic, St-Pierre is the safest bet; he’s got the right attitude, clean look, and dominant sporting abilities to truly be a successful brand ambassador.

"Astra," the upcoming retirement event for the Japanese judoka-turned-MMA star, Hidehiko Yoshida, has generated massive interest since it was announced earlier this month.

The event, hosted by J-Rock - a sports and entertainment management company that houses Yoshida and other fighters from his dojo - will take place on April 25 at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. There is no word yet on whether the event will be televised in North America.

At a press conference held on Friday, February 26, Takahiro Kokuho, the head of J-Rock, announced that the 164 VIP seats that went on sale for 100,000 yen have sold out.

In the wake of this intense publicity, fans and media have held their breath for the announcement of the fighter who will grace the ring in the main event opposite Yoshida.

For an update on the selection of Yoshida's opponent, Kokuho revealed that he and J-Rock have managed to narrow down the list of candidates. Nonetheless, the selection process has been difficult, as numerous fighters have expressed their wish to step up to the role. He said that he hopes to finalize and announce Yoshida's opponent by the time the Winter Olympic ends.

When asked what kind of a fighter would fill the bill for Yoshida's opponent in the farewell bout, Kokuho stated: "I have said earlier that I want a 'meaningful opponent' for him. For example, if we were to choose a younger opponent, someone like Satoshi Ishii, who will lead the future of MMA would be ideal.

If he were to try to avenge one of his losses, the opponent needs to be someone whom he absolutely must defeat in order to retire. Also, Yoshida is thinking about something along the line of 'Let's go Japan!' as the theme of the event, so he could face someone of his generation who still has an active career."

As for other fighters participating in the event, J-Rock has previously named four fighters from Yoshida dojo - Kazuhiro Nakamura, Makoto Takimoto, Michihiro Omigawa, and Tatsunao Nagakura. The additional participants who have been announced at the presser include Yuya Shirai, Che Mills, and Denis Kang.

Yuya Shirai, a veteran of DEEP, recently captured the promotion's welterweight title with a victory over Seichi Ikemoto. He made his debut in DREAM as a participant in the promotion's welterweight grand prix last year, and lost to the eventual semi-finalist, Jason High, in the preliminary round. Shirai, who has had close personal and professional ties to Yoshida, will face Che Mills in a welterweight showdown.

Mills, a native of Gloucester, England, has cut his teeth in the now defunct Cage Rage. He has garnered recognition among MMA fans for having defeated the DREAM welterweight champion, Mariusz Zaromskis twice. Against Shirai, he will make his Japanese debut and look to bounce back from his loss against the recent Bellator signee, Jim "Judo" Wallhead.

Pride and UFC veteran, Denis Kang, is scheduled to face Vernon White in the W-1 event next month in Montreal. He will opt for a quick turnaround to fight in Astra in April. Though his opponent has yet to be named, Kokuho stated that there is a possibility that he will be matched up with the fellow Pride and UFC veteran, Kazuhiro Nakamura.

Strikeforce has finally locked in a date for their next CBS "Saturday Night Fights" event as Scott Coker and Co. travel to Nashville, Tennessee for a televised brouhaha from the Sommet Center on April 17.

Just don't plan on seeing Fedor Emelianenko strutting his stuff on free TV.

"The Last Emperor" is currently negotiating for a spot on the next Showtime offering when Strikeforce pits him against jiu-jitsu wizard Fabricio Werdum at some point in May. The good news is there's still the Dan Henderson vs. Jake Shields middleweight title fight to fall back on.

Also expected for the promotion's first-ever trip to "Music City" is a light heavyweight grudge match between breakout stars Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal.

Strikeforce is expected to release the official CBS fight card on Monday, March 1.

While nothing is official at this time, Sherdog.com reports that Herschel Walker is penciled in to make his sophomore appearance inside the cage against an opponent to be named.

That's called the ratings game.

"Saturday Night Fights" did reasonably well when it debuted with "Fedor vs. Rogers" last November, averaging 4.04m viewers and winning its time period among adults 18-34 and men 18-34. The main event saw a peak of 5.46 million viewers, placing it in the top ten of most watched live fights in U.S. history.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com in the coming days for further developments surrounding the Strikeforce/CBS trip to Nashville.

Now that Pat Barry has taken a step up in competition to face Mirko Filipovic, Gilbert Yvel will get the Croat's original opponent when Ben Rothwell joins "The Hurricane" at UFC 115 on June 12 in Vancouver according to MMAWeekly.

"Big" Ben was supposed to face "Cro Cop" at UFC 110 earlier this month before calling in sick. And you can bet he must have really been ill considering how anxious he is to erase the memories of his last fight.

The former International Fight League (IFL) standout contested the timing of his TKO stoppage loss against Cain Velasquez in the co-main event at UFC 104: "Machida vs. Shogun" back on Oct. 24.

The Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) product was on the receiving end of a one-sided beatdown that consisted of Velasquez taking him down, controlling him on the ground and punching him in the face en route to a second round loss. Rothwell contends that he was finally back to his feet and ready to turn things around until referee Steve Mazzagatti robbed him of his chance to pull off what would have been nothing short of a miraculous comeback.

Like Rothwell, Yvel would like to leave MMA fans with a different memory after being stopped with a crushing left hook courtesy of Junior dos Santos at UFC 108 in his UFC debut earlier this year. Before succumbing to the explosive hands of Dos Santos, Yvel had won eight of his prior nine bouts, with his last win coming against Pedro Rizzo last summer.

He could conceivably get right back into the thick of things if he's able to finish Rothwell -- or he may be updating his resume if "Big" Ben prevails.

UFC 115 is expected to feature the third (and hopefully final ) dance between former light heavyweight champions Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, fresh off their coaching gigs at The Ultimate Fighter 11.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates on this still-developing fight card.

Just because he couldn't make the flight to Australia to face Mirko Filipovic back on Feb. 21 doesn't mean that rising heavyweight prospect Pat Barry still won't get the chance to test his skills against the Croatian striker later this year.

MMAScrapsRadio is reporting that "Get Hype" will return to the Octagon to face "Cro Cop" at UFC 115 when the promotion makes its debut in Vancouver. Bout agreements have not been signed; however, both fighters are reportedly in agreement for the heavyweight clash.

The stocky New Orleans native -- who was originally penciled in to face Gilbert Yvel on June 12 -- made some noise in his Zuffa debut when he creamed Dan Evenson into a TKO stoppage via punishing leg kicks. It was his fourth straight (T)KO stoppage in as many attempts.

Barry suffered the first loss of his professional career when he walked into a Tim Hague guillotine in the first round of their bout at UFC 98 last May. That loss was quickly forgotten when he finished former friend and training partner Antoni Hardonk at UFC 104 back in October.

Filipovic on the other hand has been up and down, well, mostly down since getting decapitated by Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70 in just his second fight for the promotion. After some overseas shenanigans, he returned at UFC 99 last June and used Mustapha Al Turk as a human punching.

Many predicted the "Old Cro Cop" was back -- but Junior dos Santos wasn't boarding the war wagon. "Cigano" outstruck the former PRIDE star until the Croat called it quits in the third round of their heavyweight tilt at UFC 103.

He returned once again at UFC 110, beating up Anthony Perosh en route to a TKO stoppage when "The Hippo" took over due to the viral adventures of "Big" Ben Rothwell.

Can he make it two in a row for the first time in his UFC career? Or will he fall victim to yet another heavyweight prospect? Time will tell.

UFC 115 is expected to feature the third (and hopefully final ) dance between former light heavyweight champions Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, fresh off their coaching gigs at The Ultimate Fighter 11.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates on this still-developing fight card.

Strikeforce will crown Women's Champion number two on February 26 at the Challengers 6 event set to take place at the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, California.

The undefeated Canadian Sarah Kaufman (10-0) will take on one of Japan's finest fighters in Takayo Hashi (12-1) with the vacant 135-pound title up for grabs.

145-pound fighters Cris "Cyborg" Santos and Gina "Conviction" Carano may have grabbed virtually all the headlines over the past few months when it comes to women's MMA, but now it is time for the 135-pounders to shine and for new stars to emerge.

The 24-year-old Kaufman took some time out of her busy training schedule to discuss her MMA background, using Greg Jackson as a consultant, how to approach Hashi, and her thoughts on Brock Lesnar's recent rant on the Canadian healthcare system.

Check it out:

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I want to introduce you to our readers. Can you give me a quick background on how you got into MMA originally and how long you've been training?

Sarah Kaufman: I started when I was 17. My coach Adam Zugec opened up his school Zuma Martial Arts right underneath my dance studio. I did ballet, tap, and jazz. It was kind of the full mix of everything. I started going to the gym for something fun to do but I have a very, very competitive side. For me, trying to excel in something that I was actually terrible at when I started was a big challenge for me. I really kind of took that on and then it led to me getting into the fighting.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you still train at Zuma today on a regular basis? Are they training you for your upcoming fight?

Sarah Kaufman: Yes, I'm still training at Zuma in Victoria, British Columbia. Adam has been my one and only coach in terms of my martial arts. He is the main coach for pretty much all of my MMA training. And then I have Tyler Goodale who does all my weights and conditioning. Greg Jackson hangs out with us as well, which is cool.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Does Greg help you out with your game planning and that aspect of fighting?

Sarah Kaufman: Adam pretty much does my game planning and then we just kind of talk with Greg to see if he has anything to add on top of that. We go back and forth with him.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Not too many people out there are familiar with your opponent Takayo Hashi. How would you describe her fighting style and her overall skill set?

Sarah Kaufman: I would say that I don't know a ton about her. She's pretty hard to find a ton of information on. She's ranked #2 and I'm ranked #1. On paper it looks like it will be a great fight. She is primarily from a grappling camp. I would expect her to probably come in and take me down and either go for a submission or hold me on the ground.  

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you have an official prediction for the fight?

Sarah Kaufman: I would like to finish this fight. My first eight were either KO or TKO and then my last two have been great fights, but decisions, so I would like to make it nine KO's or TKO's.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What would a Strikeforce belt mean to you?

Sarah Kaufman: I just think it is such a huge opportunity. For myself, it is a goal to win a title on a big stage. From a fighting sense that is what I want to do, put on the best fights that I can. I'm honored that I get the first chance to fight for the 135-pound title. I really think Strikeforce is doing an awesome job putting on these big women's fights, which will bring in even more females and make the divisions get bigger and bigger.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You already have Hardcore Championship Fighting belt you earned after your sixth fight in Canada. Where do you keep it?

Sarah Kaufman: That is on a shelf right when you walk into our gym.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): The winner of the 135-pound tournament will likely face the winner of your fight. Who do you think will be left standing once the tournament has concluded?

Sarah Kaufman: I really have no idea who is even going to be in the tournament. If they released all the names I'd have a better prediction. At this point I have no idea who they are going to throw in there.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): The first Strikeforce female champ is Cris "Cyborg" Santos. She's been rolling through everyone. There aren't too many contenders left at 145 pounds for her. Would you be willing to move up and fight her in the future if need be?

Sarah Kaufman: That is something that I would consider. I would consider it for kind of like a "superfight" kind of thing, but my main goal is to fight at 135 pounds and get that title. Then we can talk with Strikeforce and see if that is something that they want.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What fighters out there, male or female, do you enjoy watching as a fan of the sport?

Sarah Kaufman: I enjoy a lot of different fighters ... BJ Penn. He is probably my favorite fighter - for so many reasons. I really like watching him. He is an awesome ground guy. He has great standup. He seems pretty cool. I really like watching everyone for different things. We actually have a couple of up-and-coming guys from our gym here that I just love watching in Diego Wilson and Tarek Gabali. They both have three fights and finished all three in the first round. Diego is more of a ground guy and Tarek has knocked everyone out.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Before I go I want to ask you about Brock Lesnar's recent thoughts on the health care system in Canada. He said, "It was like I was in a third world country." Would you care to comment on his statement?

Sarah Kaufman: I'm pretty lucky. Anytime I've needed something I've gotten it, so I can't really say it is a third world country. I think it works well for us. Sometimes there are delays but I'm lucky and don't get sick or injured too often. I haven't had too much experience with that.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Any message you would like to pass along to your fans out there or any sponsors you would like to thank?

Sarah Kaufman: At this point I'd like to thank TCB and Performance MMA. TCB means "taking care of business." They've both been very good to me signing on for this fight and hopefully for the future. I really hope fans watch this fight. It will be an exciting fight and I really want to pull myself away and really showcase what I'm capable of. Look out for this fight. I'm going to be fighting hard.

Derek Bolender is a frequent MMAmania.com contributor. He is also a syndicated writer to FoxSports.com and SI.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter.

After an undisclosed injury forced Cole Miller out of his lightweight scrap against fellow Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veteran Andre Winner, Rafaello Oliveira has agreed to step in and take his place at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 21 event from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 31.

MMAWeekly reported the change earlier today.

After falling to Ross Pearson on points at the finale of the Spike TV reality show last June, Winner came roaring back to knock out Roli Delgado at UFC 105 last November. The Brit is now 1-1 in his Octagon career.

So too, is "The Tractor," who rebounded from his debut loss at the hands of Nik Lentz at UFC 103 to take home the unanimous decision win against John Gunderson at UFC 108 earlier this year.

Both are hungry up-and-comers and it should prove to be an entertaining battle.

UFC Fight Night 21 will feature a main event with perennial lightweight contender Kenny "KenFlo" Florian welcoming Japanese superstar "The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi to the UFC for the first time in his career.

In addition, Ultimate Fighter 10 Champion Roy "Big Country" Nelson tries to keep his momentum going against the up-and-coming Stefan "Hightower" Struve.

For more on UFC Fight Night 21 click here.

Take that Reebok birthday suit!

"We didn’t have a financial agreement. The purse was too low comparing from what I’m used to receiving and it’s bad for the fighter’s career. [The media] said I’m having problems with drugs and medicines … You can test me and you’ll see … I’m great. I’m not worried with fighting in Brazil anymore. I like the event, Amaury is my friend, but this event doesn’t pay what I deserve ... If someone pays what I deserve, It’ll be my pleasure to beat him up"

Former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho tells Tatame.com that he wasn't getting paid enough to fight at Bitetti Combat 6 on Feb. 25 in Brazil, insisting his financial agreement wasn't worked out with the promoters beforehand, prompting him to no-show the event. The talented-but-troubled Filho has been all over the map, both figuratively and literally since his bizarre loss to Chael Sonnen at WEC 36 in November 2008 and hasn't faced a competitor even remotely close to his level of skill in over two years. Can he eventually reclaim his position as one of the world's top ranked middleweights?

Although it's not too hard to fathom the idea of "The Iceman" and his girlfriend choosing to get buff in the... well, buff, the video that popped up yesterday featuring Chuck Liddell and his main squeeze Heidi Northcott exercising in the nude was indeed staged.

TMZ.com confirmed the video was shot as part of a viral marketing campaign for Reebok's new ZigTech sneakers.

And it looks like it worked. The video has spread like wildfire and even got a mention in Jimmy Kimmel's monologue last night. Aside from the hilarity that is Liddell working out nekkid, and for that matter the pure sweetness of Heidi Northcott joining him, we should take note of what a major coup this is for the sport of MMA.

The fact that such a well known and respected brand such as Reebok was willing to look to MMA to help push their latest Web 2.0 marketing endeavor should be viewed as another positive step toward the inevitable acceptance of our sport by the "big brands."

With the intense competition that is the sports apparel industry and the type of copycat strategy it demands, don't be surprised if we see GSP (who already has a deal with Under Armour) running bleachers sans clothing in a UA ad later this year.

Check out Chuck's video after the jump, as well as another must see ZigTech promotional video that features the former UFC light heavyweight champ and Chad Ochocinco kicking it with Pauly D and "The Situation" on a boat. GTL, kid!

 

DREAM 13 card updates and fight news here.

Strikeforce Challengers VI: "Kaufman vs. Hashi" is all set for tonight (Feb. 26) at the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, California. The five-fight main card will air live on the premium cable channel Showtime beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

Strikeforce Challenger Series serves as a proving ground to promote up-and-coming (and lesser known) fighters. The events are similar to what Elite XC used to promote with its SHO XC: "Challenger Series" on Showtime.

Headlining the card will be hard hitting Canadian Sarah Kaufman and Japanese standout Takayo Hashi going toe to toe for the right to be named the first ever Strikeforce female welterweight (135 lbs.) champion.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the event, beginning with the Showtime telecast at 11 p.m. ET. In addition, up-to-the-minute quick results of all the other under card bouts will begin to flow around 9:00 p.m. ET.

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the Showtime telecast to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment (or 10) before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after "Kaufman vs. Hashi."

Strikeforce Challenger Series VI QUICK RESULTS:

Sarah Kaufman (10-0) vs. Takayo Hashi (12-1) Women's Welterweight Championship
Trevor Prangley (22-5) vs. Karl Amoussou (11-2-1)
Luke Rockhold (6-1) vs. Paul Bradley (12-1)
James Terry (7-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (7-2)
Raul Castillo (6-0) vs. Yancy Medeiros (4-0)
Eric Lawson (9-2) vs. Wayne Phillips (3-3)
Chris Stewart (Amateur Debut) vs. Samuel Bracamnonte (Amatuer Debut)
Tristan Arenal (Amateur; 3-1) vs. George Miller (Amateur; 3-1)
Jesse Tobar (Amateur; 2-0) vs. Phil Balducci (Amateur; 1-1)
Renee Robinson (Amateur Debut) vs. Lilia Salas (Amateur Debut)
Steve Dickie (Amateur; 3-0) vs. Alan Lummel (Amateur; 1-0)
Ronald Carillo (Amateur; 1-0) vs. Anthony De Los Santos (Amateur Debut)

Strikeforce Challenger Series VI PLAY-BY-PLAY LIVE MAIN CARD COMMENTARY:

James here!

Sarah Kaufman (10-0) vs. Takayo Hashi (12-1) Women's Welterweight Championship

Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Round four:
Round five:

Final Result:

Trevor Prangley (22-5) vs. Karl Amoussou (11-2-1)

Round one:
Round two:
Round three:

Final result:

-end-

Luke Rockhold (6-1) vs. Paul Bradley (12-1)

Round one:
Round two:
Round three:

Final result:

-end-

James Terry (7-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (7-2)

Round one:
Round two:
Round three:

Final result:

-end-

Raul Castillo (6-0) vs. Yancy Medeiros (4-0)

Round one: 
Round two:
Round three:

Final result:

-end-

Strikeforce stars are heading to the small screen once again -- though it won't be for a Showtime or CBS "Saturday Night Fights" event. Sherdog.com reports that NCIS: Los Angeles will feature a mixed martial arts-themed episode that is expected to air this April.

Appearing will be a who's-who of current and former champions including newly signed middleweight Dan Henderson, lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, former 155-pound kingpin Josh Thomson, ex-middleweight champions Cung Le and Frank Shamrock and former Elite XC titleholder KJ Noons.

Even "Big" John McCarthy is getting in on the action. From CBS.com:

NCIS: Los Angeles is a drama about the high stakes world of the Office of Special Projects (OSP), a division of NCIS that is charged with apprehending dangerous and elusive criminals that pose a threat to the nation's security. By assuming false identities and utilizing the most advanced technology, this team of highly trained agents goes deep undercover, putting their lives on the line in the field to bring down their targets.

Starring Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J, NCIS: Los Angeles airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET.