Kimbo Slice returns to ring for the fake stuff ... pro wrestling

He began his fighting career as a novelty act and after trying mixed martial arts for three years, it looks like Kimbo Slice is returning to the novelty side of things. Plenty of MMA promoters have been asked about Kimbo as an MMA fighter, but no one has bitten. Now he's headed to the world of fake fighting. Kimbo has signed on for a pro wrestling event in Japan on Feb. 5.

Kimbo will be part of an eight-man pro wrestling tournament and will face Wakakirin Shinichi. He is the smaller of the two sumo wrestlers in the match below. Even in the fake stuff, Kimbo better keep his chin tucked and watch out for those vicious slaps. Wakakirin beat this guy silly with his slaps. The big guy could hardly stand at the end of the fight. 

Wakakirin, 27, is a bit of a villain in Japan. He turned to pro wrestling after being banned from the world of sumo for marijuana possession. He pled guilty and received a suspended sentence of three years. Wakakirin also forfeited his pension of $5.3 million Yen per year. The Japanese take that ban very seriously. Wakakirin was scheduled to fight Bob Sapp at Dynamite!! 2010. The Japanese were not going to show the bout on free television. 

[Related: Brock Lesnar's next big challenge]

Wakakirin's entry into pro wrestling was marked by a little controversy as well. He faced former UFC and PRIDE fighter Mark Coleman at IGF 13 in December. He defeated the MMA fighter, but Coleman's camp accused Wakakirin of straying from the script.

Kimbo hasn't fought since his UFC loss to Matt Mitrione back in May. After building his name through street-fighting videos on YouTube, Kimbo made the transition to MMA in 2007. He posted a 4-2 record, but there were questions about his dedication to training. He was 1-1 with the UFC, but also failed badly on the promotion's reality show "The Ultimate Fighter."

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There were reports that the soon-to-be 37-year-old Kimbo was going into professional boxing, but he's yet to make his debut in the squared circle. Slice was going to work on the boxing side with the Shaws, Gary and son, Jared. That's been tabled for now.

"[Slice left the boxing training camp] due to some various injuries and to go film The Scorpion King. Upon his return, he didn’t show me any interest in boxing, so we just decided for right now to put it to the side," Slice’s former promoter Jared Shaw told FanHouse.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Kimbo-Slice-returns-to-ring-for-the-fake-stuff-?urn=mma-309733

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Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg Weigh-In Video

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MMA Fighting's E. Casey Leydon was on hand for Friday's Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg weigh-ins at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Watch a highlight video of the proceedings below. Get Diaz vs. Cyborg weigh-in results.


Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/28/strikeforce-diaz-vs-cyborg-weigh-in-video/

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Crash Course: Strikeforce "Diaz vs. Cyborg" Edition

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of ?Crash Course?. ?Crash Course? is a series of articles designed to give readers a quick rundown on all the relevant information they need to know heading into an upcoming major MMA event. Everything from why you should watch, what you should expect [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/01/26/crash-course-strikeforce-diaz-vs-cyborg-edition

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STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos believes he's found a home at welterweight, but wants Mousasi or Manhoef after Diaz

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos has been in the fight game for a long time. The 33-year-old took his first MMA fights in the late 90s, and has bounced around in different weight classes throughout his career. Now, he's set to face off against Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz on Saturday night on Showtime, and he says he feels like he's finally found the right weight for him in the sport.

"After 15 years of searching for my ideal weight, I have finally found a home in the welterweight division," Santos said in an interview with MMAWeekly.com. "I fought 155 pounds at 18 years old then I ballooned up to 205 pounds. Now I?ve found a home that is comfortable for the first time in my career. I spent 42 fights looking for my ideal weight; all of that experience has made me a better fighter."

Most of Santos' wins have come by way of (T)KO, but the heavy hitting Brazilian wants to let people know that he's got an adept ground game as well.

"Nobody has really seen my ground game," Santos said. "I'm solid in Greco-Roman and I have a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I'm not worried about keeping it standing. I want to showcase my BJJ. If I'm underestimated on the ground, I'm okay with that. [I'm] very confident if it goes to the ground; I will be okay."

Though Santos believes welterweight suits him best, he's got a couple of fights in mind after Diaz that would take him back out of the division.

"Once I take the belt, I want to fight Gegard Mousasi and Melvin Manhoef in any weight class," Santos said.

Penick's Analysis: Santos has a definite chance of upsetting Diaz on Saturday night. Though he possesses a pedestrian MMA record overall, he's looked very good in his last couple of fights, especially in his bout with Marius Zaromskis. And with his knockout power and ground game, he can be a danger to Diaz on Saturday night. If he pulls off the upset, though he wants to fight Mousasi and Manhoef, moving up in weight again I don't think would be the best idea for him. If he continues to perform well at 170 lbs., that's the class he should stick with.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Affliction2/article_8257.shtml

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UFC NEWS: Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida to headline The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale on Spike in June

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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Anthony Pettis will indeed headline his first ever UFC event, and though it won't be for the title shot he was initially expecting to get, it will still introduce him to a larger audience than he was exposed to on Versus.

According to a report from MMAJunkie.com, Pettis' planned bout with Clay Guida will headline The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale on June 4 in Las Vegas, live on Spike TV.

Pettis, entering the UFC as the final WEC Lightweight Champion after a riveting fight with Ben Henderson in December, was initially slated to face the winner of the Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard bout from UFC 125. With that fight ending in a draw, the UFC decided to book a rematch, leading Pettis to take a different fight. Pettis ended his time in the WEC with four straight wins, all in 2010, and enters the UFC with a record of 13-1 overall.

Guida most recently moved his winning streak to three with a second round submission victory over Takanori Gomi at UFC 125. All three of his wins in that span have come by submission. The energetic Guida holds a record of 8-5 in the Octagon.

The Ultimate Fighter 13 will be coached by heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos, and will feature 28 welterweight fighters. The season begins filming next week, and debuts on Spike on March 30.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: This is a perfect spot for this fight. Coming off the heels of what should be one of the highest rated seasons of TUF ever, the UFC can introduce Pettis on free TV to a large audience that may not have seen him fight before. They can put the "Showtime kick" on an endless loop on Spike for a week heading into the fight, and if Pettis can defeat Guida he'll skyrocket his popularity even further. A win over Guida in impressive fashion on this card will make him an even easier sell as a title challenger for the UFC.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_8227.shtml

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UFC NEWS: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to undergo second hip surgery; hopeful for return in August at UFC Rio

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira hasn't fought since a knockout loss to Cain Velasquez last February, and as he approaches a year out of action he's not any closer to returning.

A proposed bout with Frank Mir at UFC 119 last fall fell through when Nogueira was forced out with knee and hip injuries, both of which he's since had surgery on. Now, his manager Ed Soares says he's scheduled for surgery on his hip yet again.

"He first had his knee surgery and then he had his hip surgery. He's still rehabbing his knee and he's rehabbing his hip at the same time," said Soares in an interview with MMAWeekly.com. "He's probably going to go in and have his other hip surgery in mid-February."

But while continued rehab still remains in his immediate future, Soares says Nogueira is ultimately hoping for a return this August on the UFC's return trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"His ultimate goal, he'd really like to fight on the Brazil card," Soares said. "He thinks he'd be ready to fight on that Rio card. If he could fight there, I think he'd be a big draw down there. He's a huge legend down there. In a perfect world, he would love to fight in Rio."

Nogueira isn't alone in wanting to compete on that UFC Rio card on August 27, as there has been no shortage of Brazilian fighters voicing their desire to fight at the event. But if he can make a return to action by then, the 34-year-old would be very likely to get a spot on the card.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: Nogueira has put years on his body well beyond his age throughout his fight career, and it's unfortunate that these more serious injuries have hit him recently. Making a successful return isn't out of the question, and he's still quite young, but he has fought a lengthy and brutal career already. Hopefully his surgery is a success next month and he'll be able to return by August, because he can still bring entertainment and excitement to fans, and against the right opponents can definitely still pick up some wins.

[Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_8206.shtml

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PARK: A path emerging for Michael Bisping towards a shot at Anderson Silva

By: Chris Park, MMATorch UK Specialist

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A mere eighteen months ago Michael "The Count" Bisping was on top of the world. In 2005 The Ultimate Fighter was where it all began for the Brit, and Bisping returned to the show to coach Team UK to success, winning both the lightweight and welterweight tournaments.

With a split-decision loss to Rashad Evans as the only blemish on his record, Bisping knew that a victory over rival coach Dan Henderson would solidify his slot as the next man to challenge the Brazilian phenom Anderson "The Spider" Silva for the Middleweight Championship.

Bisping came up short against Henderson, to say the least, suffering one of the most violent knockouts in UFC history. Bisping has bounced back with a vengeance, and the Wolfslair kingpin has since gone 3-1 with four highly impressive performances.

Anderson Silva is due to defend his crown for the eighth time when he takes on Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 on February 5, with Yushin Okami already confirmed to face the winner, but that has not stopped Silva expressing an interest in facing The Count. With recent admissions that he would like to fight Bisping for the title in the UK, a Silva vs. Bisping showdown could hit these shores before the year is out.

Both Bisping and Silva's next Octagon appearances are set on opposite sides of the world, however, their paths appear to be destined to eventually cross. While Silva's next bout is in Las Vegas, just a few weeks later Bisping will be jetting out to Australia to finalise his fight preparations for Jorge Rivera.

With Silva more than capable of using Vitor Belfort's aggression to his own advantage, and Bisping facing the aging Rivera, both men are expected to come through February's fights victorious.

With Okami awaiting the winner of Silva vs. Belfort, a second win in 2011 for Bisping would almost guarantee him a crack at the 185 lb. strap. Several fighters such as Chael Sonnen, Damien Maia and most recently Brian Stann have expressed an interest in facing Bisping, and a win over any of the aforementioned would prove Bisping as deserving of the next title shot.

Michael Bisping put on one of the finest performances of his career when he defeated Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 120 in London. It was a performance that saw Bisping take some big shots early before going on to dominate arguably the best middleweight he has defeated so far.

Wins over Denis Kang, Dan Miller and Akiyama, along with the exciting battle in Australia with Wanderlei Silva in 2010, have given The Count huge momentum going into his UFC 127 bout, once again down under. Bisping will enter the Octagon as the favourite against Rivera, but there are dangers when you face a man with the experience that Rivera possesses. One thing is for sure, a victory over "El Conquistador" will propel Bisping right into the title picture and put him one huge step closer to fighting for the UFC title.

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Chris Park is the MMATorch UK Specialist and guest columnist at ESPN.co.uk. Please email any comments or questions to Chris at; mmatorchuk@gmail.com or look us up at http://www.facebook.com/mmatorchuk2 our new MMATorch Facebook home for UK Fans!

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/ukscene/article_8228.shtml

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