MMA Universe

- Akiyama Charges Manager with Embezzlement

- MMA promoter sues over canceled match

- XCAP Proud to have Ryan Couture on Board

- President: Announcement of Shark Fights 13 broadcast plans coming next week

- Bellator sues UFC, alleges “tortious interference of contract” of Jonathan Brookins

Akiyama Charges Manager with Embezzlement

Proving once again that the sharks in MMA swim mostly outside of the ring, Bloodyelbow.com and GotMMA.com have unearthed that Yoshihiro Akiyama once accused his (obviously former) manager of embezzlement. Writing in his autobiography, “Two Souls,” Akiyama claims the unnamed party stole anywhere from hundreds of thousands to a million, representing nearly all of his career earnings. That’s bleak stuff.  (Sherdog)

MMA promoter sues over canceled match

Maximum Fighting Inc. has filed a $500,000 lawsuit against the Edmonton Concert Hall Foundation (ECHF) after alleging it suffered losses when the ECHF unilaterally cancelled an agreement for three Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) events to be held at the Winspear.

According to a statement of claim filed July 28, MFC and ECHF entered into a written agreement on Dec. 15, 2009, whereby MFC would be entitled to hold an MFC event at the Winspear on April 9. (Edmonton Sun)

XCAP Proud to have Ryan Couture on Board

Strikeforce officials announced last week that Las Vegas resident Ryan Couture, son of MMA legend Randy Couture, has agreed and signed a multi-fight deal all in which XCAP (Xtreme Couture Athletic Pharmaceutials) is proud to have Ryan  Couture represent the line and wear its colors. (XCAPNEWS)

President: Announcement of Shark Fights 13 broadcast plans coming next week

“One of the great things is that I’ve got great, great investors who are committed,” said Medley, a former pro fighter who owns a 1999 victory over WEC contender Leonard Garcia. “They’re big fight fans themselves. … So I went to them, and we got separate money for this show. I said I want it (the event costs, including fighters salaries) paid for before the event.

“I’m a fight fan then a promoter. … Are we trying to play with the big boys? Is this event going to leverage our company? The answer is no. The event is separate from our day-to-day profile.” (MMAJunkie)

Bellator sues UFC, alleges “tortious interference of contract” of Jonathan Brookins

The legal battle between the Bellator Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship has taken an unexpected turn.

While Zuffa, LLC – the parent company of the UFC – recently filed suit in Nevada against Bellator due to an alleged theft of “trade secrets and confidential Zuffa documents,” Bellator officials have now fired back with a suit of their own.  (MMAJunkie)

***

Targeted by Bellator lawsuit, Mickey Dubberly says company’s claims inaccurate

Mickey Dubberly, the CEO of K.O. Dynasty Sports Management has a simple message for Bellator head Bjorn Rebney: Stop lying.

Dubberly and his client, Jonathan Brookins, are among the defendants targeted alongside Zuffa, LLC in a lawsuit filed today by Bellator that claim tortious interference was at play in Brookins’ recent run on “The Ultimate Fighter 12.”  (MMAJunkie)

PICTURE OF THE DAY

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Eye Injury Puts Alan Belcher in Career Jeopardy : “I had a detached retina, I just lost the vision in my right eye. It just happened all of the sudden, pretty much overnight. I was training in Brazil, messing around there for a few days and had surgery the day after I came home. I think it happened in training but I don’t exactly know when. It’s gonna take a couple of months to heal, to be at its peak, so then I’ll know how much my vision comes back.” (MMAFA.TV)

QUICK HITS

• Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante well-prepared by life lessons for Strikeforce title shot(MMAJunkie)
• Nick Catone to undergo surgery on re-injured shoulder and back, return date unknown (MMAJunkie)
• UFC 118 weigh-ins to air live on Spike TV (MMAJunkie)
• Paul Daley meets Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights 13 (MMAJunkie)
• Strikeforce CEO: Fabricio Werdum out until 2011, no opponent set (MMAJunkie)
• Silva: Submission Was Payback, Injury Layoff Undetermined (Sherdog)
• Commission: Daley Suspended 30 Days for Koscheck Punch (Sherdog)
• King Mo Declares Himself Underdog for Title Fight (MMAFighting)
• Leonardo Santos vs. Sotaro Yamada Announced for SRC 14 (MMAFighting)
• TRENDING INDICATED BIG PPV NUMBERS FOR UFC 117 (MMAWeekly)
• STRIKEFORCE WILL HOLD 185 CONTENDERS TOURNEY (MMAWeekly)
• Bellator Fires Back, Sues UFC Regarding Jonathan Brookins (Heavy)
• UFC 117: Risks Don’t Outweigh Rewards (Heavy)

TV LISTINGS

• Bellator 24: Lombard vs Goodman on FSN (08/12/10)
• HDNet Fights Vault: DREAM at 8:00 PM ET on HDNet (08/13/10)
• Fighting Words with Mike Straka (Chael Sonnen) at 8:30 PM ET on HDNet (08/13/10)
• Inside MMA (Ben Henderson, Reed Harris, & Chad Mendes) at 9 PM ET on HDNet (08/13/10)
• HDNet Fights: KOTC: Imminent Danger at 10 PM ET on HDNet (08/13/10)
• Strikeforce Challengers: Riggs vs Taylor 11 PM ET on Showtime (08/13/10)

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Bellator 24: Lombard vs Goodman on FSN (08/12/10)
• Strikeforce Challengers: Riggs vs Taylor 10 PM ET/PT on Showtime (08/13/10)
• HDNet Fights: KOTC: Imminent Danger at 9 PM ET on HDNet (08/13/10)
• WEC 50: Cruz vs Benavidez at 9 PM ET on Versus (08/18/10)
• Bellator 25 on FSN (08/19/10)
• Strikeforce: King Mo vs Rafael Feijao at 10 PM ET/PT on Showtime (08/21/10)
• Bellator 26 on FSN (08/26/10)
• HDNet Fights: Sengoku Raiden Championships 14 on HDNet (08/27/10)
• UFC 118: Edgar vs Penn 2 at 10 PM ET on PPV (08/28/10)
• Bellator 26 on FSN (09/2/10)
• UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Belcher at 9 PM ET on SPIKE TV (09/15/10)
• UFC 119 : Minotauro Nogueira vs Frank Mir 2 at 10 PM ET on PPV (09/25/10)

"Feijao knows he wants the knock out. He doesn’t want the submission. He trains in the ground game, but I’m training with guys in Jiu-Jitsu that are comparable. So I’m not worried at the ground at all because I’ve got good submission defense.... I don’t know. If you ask me if I could beat anybody I’m going to say I can beat anybody. I’d win against anybody with a good game plan. It doesn’t matter who it is. Except my momma. It doesn’t matter who it is, I’ll beat them with a good game plan.... I’ve only been fighting for two years. There’s no pressure on me whatsoever. If there’s pressure on anybody it’s Feijao. He has the name. He’s been fighting longer and he’s been training longer. I remember watching Feijao just mashing people in the IFL. I think people look at me as having the bigger name but I don’t care. I think he’s the favorite. I’m the underdog even though I’m the champ.... I may be implementing a new style like from Bernard Hopkins, one of my favorite boxers. I’m going to implement his style. And maybe if that doesn’t work than a little of Paul Williams. So you’ll all be seeing some new stuff from me."

-- Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion "King" Mo Lawal talks about his mindset heading into his first title defense against Rafael "Feijao’’ Cavalcante at Strikeforce: "Houston," which is scheduled for the Toyota Center in Texas on Saturday, Aug. 21. Lawal is undefeated, and he most recently bested highly-touted Gegard Mousasi in his last outing. Nonetheless, Lawal feels that he is the underdog when he and the talented Brazilian square off in the main event of the Showtime telecast less than two weeks from today. Is Lawal trying to convince himself that he is indeed just a young, hungry and inexperienced fighter who has far exceeded expectations to date or is he really heading into the toughest test of his promising career? Or is it both?

Props: Gracie Mag

Quoteworthy:

"I’m a Nogueira brothers black belt, and I’d give my life for them. I say that and I don’t need to patronize them nor them me. Rodrigo is my master and Rogério is a brother and teacher to me. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today. I decided to put on the gi as a tribute to them and for the things I’d said. I told Rodrigo I’d get the submission in this fight. I told him that. Everything worked out yet again."

Reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva validates his jiu-jitsu black belt under the Nogueira brothers with a fifth round submission win (triangle choke) over Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 on Aug. 7 in Oakland. Sonnen referred to "The Spider's" black belt as "a toy that you get in a happy meal" in his pre-fight trash talk but in the end, was denied what could have been a lopsided win to usurp the Brazilian's title. Now the wrestler and ex-politician must wait for an eventual rematch while Silva cures what ails him and gears up for his next title defense. But has Sonnen paved the way for future challengers?

UFC 117: "Silva vs. Sonnen" took place tonight (Aug. 7, 2010) from the  the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

From a pure promotional stand point, it was perhaps the most anticipated pay-per-view (PPV) event of the 2010 fight season behind the behemoth box office draw that is Brock Lesnar (UFC 116).

And that was due in large part to the epic, and often disparaging, trash talk of number one middleweight contender Chael Sonnen. He declared that tonight was the retirement party for star-crossed champion Anderson Silva, who had never lost a fight inside the Octagon.

He still hasn't.

Sonnen talked the talk, and tonight, he walked the walk ... for more than 20 minutes.

But it was a momentary lapse in judgment in the fifth and final round that was his incredible undoing. Silva got literally manhandled like never before, and he was likely down four rounds to zero heading into the fifth.

Not only did Sonnen outwrestle the seemingly invincible Silva, but he also outstruck him the few minutes while they were on their feet, dropping him on at least two occasions. You could see that Silva was pressing the action, trying to get something going, but Sonnen was just too much for him to handle.

Almost.

"The Spider" wrapped Sonnen up in a triangle choke from the bottom, which Sonnen desperately tried to escape. He almost did, but he tapped in the end. In a flashback to his first fight with Paulo Filho, Sonnen initially protested, saying he didn't give in.

Replays proved otherwise. And despite all of his mind-boggling seemingly schizophrenic behavior before the fight, he admitted in the end, likely reluctantly, that he did in fact earn the silver medal this evening.

Smart move. And it will likely get him a rematch very soon if not immediately.

That was one helluva a comeback for Silva -- likely one of the best ever for perhaps one of the best mixed martial artists this world has ever seen.

Talk about a legacy builder.

All good things come to those who wait, right? That depends on how you describe "good."

In the co-featured fight of the night, former number one contenders Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves hooked 'em up in a rematch from 2006 that would determine the next title challenger.

Yes, despite injuries, medical problems and weight issues, it finally did happened again. But it wasn't pretty.

Fitch did what he had to do, taking down the Brazilian at will and, in the process, eliminating his biggest strength, which is his devastating stand up skills. He worked for several submissions, but Alves is just too talented to finish unless he's hurt.

And Fitch never really hurt the "Pitbull" ... certainly not like he did in their first encounter.

Nonetheless, Fitch earned a dominating decision. Perhaps it was Alves' 13-month layoff or weight issues. Or, quite possibly, Fitch really is the second best 170-pound fighter in the world.

Regardless, he'll need to do more if and when he takes on current division champion Georges St. Pierre again, or, gasp, is put on the spot and has to decide whether or not to pass on the opportunity of a lifetime and fight teammate Josh Koscheck instead.

That, alone, is an interesting situation.

Lightweight locomotive, Clay Guida, was in typical form, bouncing, ducking, burping (seriously) and pressing super promising prospect Rafael dos Anjos throughout most of their almost 15-minute bout.

It didn't matter that he was getting beat to the punch early, or getting blasted with kicks, he still kept coming forward. It ultimately paid winning dividends.

"The Carpenter" delivered another workmanlike performance, pouring it on with punches in bunches, as well as smothering wrestling, which cumulatively made the Brazilian tapout midway through the final round.

It wasn't a slick submission or brutal ground and pound, but rather a broken dos Anjos jaw that was the decision maker. Guida just kept coming, and in the end, dos Anjos just couldn't withstand the pain and keep going.

He broke his will.

UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes was out to prove that he still has what it takes to do some damage in the welterweight division, taking on decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu stylist Ricardo Almeida.

He did just that tonight ... with an exclamation point.

Hughes clipped "Big Dog" with a short left in the first round, which sent the New Jersey resident to the canvas a little fuzzy. Hughes carefully waded in, grabbed his open neck from a north-south position and rocked the baby to sleep.

No joke.

Almeida, one would assume based on his background, would be able to defend the "old wrestling" hold, but not even close. He went from weathering the storm to out cold in about 20 seconds.

Chalk another one up for the newest, and perhaps least reluctant, Gracie killer.

Impressive, highly unlikely, and totally awesome finish.

The promotion didn't mess around to kick off the broadcast, sending Junior dos Santos and Roy Nelson to the center of the cage to determine the number one division contender.

Good call.

"Cigano" lit up "Big Country" early and often, hurting Nelson twice in the first round. His upper cut was just a deadly weapon that Nelson could not escape -- he found pay dirt virtually every time he threw it.

To his credit, Nelson survived and battled back, but he just didn't have the conditioning -- or perhaps similar skills -- to pull victory from the jaws of defeat. Nonetheless, he was clearly looking for a one-punch knockout all fight.

Didn't happen.

Now dos Santos gets to relax and wait to see who wins the upcoming bout between UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and undefeated number one contender Cain Velasquez later this year.

It doesn't get much better than that for us fans.

That’s enough from us — now it’s your turn to discuss "Silva vs. Sonnen" in the comments section below. Sound off, Maniacs.

Let’s hear what you have to say: Did Sotiropoulos earn a spot in the 155-pound title hunt? Is Bonnar finally ready for bigger and badder competition? Leben, what more can we say? And if Carwin can't beat Lesnar, can anyone? Good luck, Cain.

For complete UFC 117 results and detailed blow-by-blow commentary of the televised main card fights click here.

Though not much has been heard from Strikeforce beyond their big upcoming shows this month which include the women’s 135 lbs GP in their Challengers 10 event from Phoenix and big card from Strikeforce Houston featuring King Mo vs Feijao Cavalcante and Tim Kennedy vs Jacare Souza for the vacant Middleweight belt, they have plans to make a huge impact in the MMA landscape in the Fall.

- Planned Early October Strikeforce Event in San Jose, CA

Strikeforce is planning an October show (rumored October 9th in the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA) which would hold the first round of their MW Tournament.  Highly touted Strikeforce prospect, Luke Rockhold (7-1), is looking to make his long awaited return to the cage in his hometown and could be a darkhorse to win the tournament.

This show could also host a rumored bout between Dan Henderson and Babalu Sobral, which would most likely be a headliner of the event.  Strikeforce is also in talks with CBS to broadcast the event, and is hopeful that they could rebound nicely from their April CBS event which was marred by uninspiring ratings and the brawl at the end of the telecast.  Both October and November have been discussed as possible months to host the event, and here is what Scott Coker told the Las Vegas Sun about possible LHW bouts:

“Dan Henderson and I had a conversation after LA and he wants to move up to 205,” Coker said. “That led us to think the next fight for Dan will be either Babalu or Gegard Mousasi.

“Calvacante just had an impressive win over Antwain Britt so he deserves the shot. I think the winner of Dan and Babalu or Dan and Gegard could face the winner of that title fight.”

- Strikeforce MMA DVD Estimated Release Set for October 12

Strikeforce fans who have been patiently wondering when Strikeforce would be releasing their events or non-televised bouts to their fans will soon get their opportunity.  Amazon.com and BestBuy is now accepting pre-orders for and upcoming 2 disc DVD release titled “Strikeforce MMA”, at the moment starring Alistair Overeem and Jake Shields and will contain 6 hours of content produced by Showtime Entertainment.  The listing price is $20.99 and will be releasing on October 12, which is just a few days after their October event is rumored to take place.

Here is what Strikeforce said about the release:

It will be particular fights from 2010 and some added never before seen footage that our hard-core fans will enjoy.

- EA Sports MMA Release Set for October 19

The release of the EA Sports MMA video game is something that both EA and Strikeforce have been anticipating for quite some time.   The excitement and synergy between both groups was apparent during E3, and both have high hopes for their video game release, hoping that it could be as influential and monumental as UFC Undisputed 2009 was for the UFC and THQ.  The game is set for release on October 19th on both the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 platforms.  Pre-orders of the game, which gives fans exclusive content like Herschel Walker, can now be placed at GameStop, Amazon.com, Walmart, and Best Buy.

EA Sports has slowly announced fighters in their video game roster for months, leading up to their release date which is now only a couple months away and around the time of the planned CBS event, which should create buzz for the title release.  Here is their latest announcement regarding complete roster reveal dates leading up to the release date:

Complete roster reveal by weight class starts 8/9 with heavyweights at easports.com/mma…..new update each Monday in August.

MMAPayout Perspective:

October will be a huge month for Strikeforce’s future, pulling all their big guns and hoping to make a permanent mark in the MMA landscape.  The release of DVD set, a video game, and working for their return to CBS prime-time programming is all crucial in terms of their relevance in the MMA landscape, increasing brand awareness, and creating stars in their roster.

Strikeforce signing a deal with Collective Licensing International (CLI), which is now the manager of the Strikeforce brand and provides the rights to license and produce merchandising like footwear, apparel, accessories, and equipment will also be a key component to their growth. It will be interesting to see how that partnership benefits Strikeforce in the upcoming year and beyond, along with their other partners.

NEW YORK (Aug. 4, 2010) -- Undefeated heavyweight and two-time United States Olympic Games wrestling team member Daniel Cormier will attempt to make it four wins in a row when he faces the hard-hitting Jason Riley in the undercard of a world championship doubleheader at STRIKEFORCE: Houston on Saturday, Aug. 21 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

The addition of the heavyweight bout to the undercard has prompted a new start time (6:30 p.m. CT) for the STRIKEFORCE event, which was originally scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Doors to the Toyota Center open at 6 p.m.

A former NCAA Division I national championship runner up at Oklahoma State University, Cormier (3-0) has won all three of his professional MMA bouts via knockout. Cormier won his initial MMA and STRIKEFORCE start with a second-round TKO (punches) over Gary Frazier on Sept. 25 in Tulsa, Okla.

He dominated John Devine in his second fight with a first-round knockout at a STRIKEFORCE: Challengers event on March 26 in Fresno, Calif., and followed that up with a first-round TKO of Lucas Browne on July 31.

A heavyweight prospect who trains at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., Cormier placed fourth in the 2004 Olympics in freestyle wrestling. He was named captain of the U.S. squad for the 2008 Olympics, but was unable to compete due to injury.

Riley (7-3), of Columbus, Ohio, has won four of his fights via knockout, but is looking to rebound from a KO loss to Devin Cole on March 27. Far more experienced professionally than Cormier, Devine has been in the cage with MMA veteran Tim Sylvia, who fought MMA legends Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Randy Couture and Andrei Arlovski.

STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Champion "King" Mo Lawal (7-0) will make the first defense of his belt against devastating striker Rafael "Feijao'' Cavalcante (9-2) in the main event on the live SHOWTIME telecast (10p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

The co-main event will feature Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (12-2) and American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-2) in a battle for the vacant STRIKEFORCE Middleweight (185 pounds) title.

In a featured, televised bout, undefeated heavyweight rising star and former WWE personality Bobby Lashley (5-0) will return to the cage against Chad Griggs (8-1). Also on the televised portion of the card, former world champ KJ Noons (9-2) will face Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt Jorge Gurgel (13-6) in a lightweight (155 pounds) featured bout.

The live SHOWTIME telecast of the event will begin at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

The No. 1 contender for the UFC middleweight champion unleashed another verbal attack on a professional athlete, although Chael Sonnen chose professional cyclist Lance Armstrong:

“When you screw up, you have to own it. That stuff really gets under my skin. Take Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong did a number of things and he gave himself cancer. He cheated, he did drugs, and he gave himself cancer. Well, instead of saying ‘Hey listen, I cheated and gave myself cancer, don’t be like me.’ He actually made himself the victim and then went out and profited something like $15 million dollars from this ‘Hey, poor me, let’s find a cure for cancer’ campaign instead of just coming clean and saying, ‘Look, here’s what I did, I screwed myself up, and I hope people learn from my mistakes.’ You just watch these guys and can’t help but think, God, what a fraud. You got the whole Michael Phelps being a pothead thing too. I’m just glad I’m in the business I’m in so I can get them in the cage and kick the crap out of them.”

I’m an avid fan of professional cycling, and heavily support Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong organization, but the current federal investigation has damaged Armstrong’s public image.  At the beginning of July when the Tour de France started, Armstrong had an 86 percent online approval rating — but that number slid to 58 percent by the end of July.

Many people already assume Armstrong has taken banned substances — but until it has been proven — he should be able to ride in the pro peloton and raise money for his foundation.

I’ve greatly enjoyed Sonnen’s continued trash talk, but I think he should remain focused at targeting Silva and his camp.

(Found article on BloodyElbow, but the interview was on the Pro MMA Radio/transcribed by MMA Mania.)

Just days before his UFC 117 main event against middleweight champion Anderson Silva, sharp-tongued mixed martial arts veteran Chael Sonnen stops by Pro MMA Radio TONIGHT (Aug. 2) at 9 p.m. ET right here on MMAmania.com.

We could attempt to guess what he might talk about tonight, but that would be doing him, and his epic trash talk, a major disservice. Just do yourself a favor and tune in tonight to hear it first hand.

Hosted by Larry Pepe, Pro MMA Radio is professional, guest-driven program that features some of mixed martial arts biggest names right here on MMAmania.com every Monday night at 9 p.m. ET through our exclusive live feed.

Live feed begins tonight at 9 p.m. ET after the jump.

Pro MMA Radio will begin playing automatically. Press (||) to turn it off.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - It was quick, it was dominant, and it was something the light heavyweight division will have to get used to, as 205-pound phenom Jon Jones passed another test with breakneck speed Sunday night at the San Diego Sports Arena, halting veteran Vladimir Matyushenko in less than two minutes to up his record to 11-1.

Below are the official weigh-in results for Sunday's UFC on VERSUS: Jones vs Matyushenko event. This event, which is headlined by the light heavyweight bout between Jon Jones and Vladimir Matyushenko, and the middleweight showdown between Yushin Okami and Mark Munoz, airs live on VERSUS from the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California beginning at 9pm ET / 6pm PT.