Stephen Zimmer at Joseph-Beth Bookstore in Lexington on Friday

From author Stephen Zimmer:

My first bookstore signing takes place this Friday evening at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington for The Exodus Gate from 7-9 pm. Those who already have a signed copy,bring it out and I will add a special inscription on another page to commemorate this night.

Come on out and say hi, and don't feel a need to buy the book. I'd love to just see some friendly faces to share this occasion with.

Joseph-Beth Booksellers is an incredible place, and I have bought books there since their very first version of the store at Lexington Green. It is simply amazing to think that my first bookstore signing will be at this incredible store.

Word has it that my editor Amanda DeBord and my illustrator Matthew Perry will both be hanging out as well.

For more information on The Exodus Gate, please feel free to visit www.seventhstarpress.com

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I'll soon be posting my review of Zimmer's book The Exodus Gate as well as an interview with the man himself. If you're in Lexington, KY on Friday night, make sure to check out the book signing.

-PreView

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Live Blogs Happening on FightTicker.com Tonight!

I'm here at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, OH, waiting for ICF: Breakout to start. I'm live blogging 'til I collapse - check it out at FightTicker.com.

A special thanks to Fight For Life USA for hooking me up with a custom shirt.

Also, my buddy and fellow FightTicker.com Mike Menninger (aka Puddin) is doing a live blog of his own at the MMA Big Show happening tonight at Bel Terra Casino. You can check that out on FightTicker here.

-PreView

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ICF News Blitz

As I have reported extensively over the past few months, Intimidation Cage Fighting will host their first event at US Bank Arena, ICF: Breakout, this Saturday. I have covered the ICF extensively since joining FightTicker and this weekend will be no different. I will be there live blogging and doing post-event interviews with a number of the fighters. Headlined by a co-main event of Victor O'Donnell vs. Forrest Petz and Dan Christison vs. Marcio Cruz, the full fight card features a number of former UFC fighters, local fighters and even FightTicker.com members.

Check after the jump for all the ICF news.

Prominently featured on the card is FightTicker.com member, co-owner of Cincy MMA and Fitness and the first pro fighter to sign an exclusive contract with the ICF, Chad Hinton (aka Hitman - although Chad has since changed his nickname to "H-Bomb"). Hinton will be facing former UFC fighter Jeff Cox.

FightTicker.com member Jeremy Pender (aka Pender) will be making his pro debut at 135 pounds against Carson Gainey. and TUF alum Luke Zachrich will face Robert Thompson. The Professional section of the card is rounded out by a Lightweight match-up between Daniel Straus fighting out of Team Vision and Mike Baskis, fighting out of E-Town Beatdown.

The amateur card features a number of title match-ups. ICF Amateur Light Heavyweight Champ, the hard-hitting TJ Ball will take on Kevin Barton, Team Xtreme's Marcus Finch looks to get the Middleweight title back from Tyler Johnson and Team Xtreme's Matt Egner is looking to recapture the Lightweight belt from Steve Muldrow. FightTicker.com member Chris Curtis (aka TheActionMan513) will be defending his ICF Amateur Welterweight title in a match-up against Taylor Ruscin.

This undercard is rounded out by bouts between "Ruthless" Ron Mitchell vs. Rob Galloway, a welterweight contest between Justin Hunt and Alex Suhonosov, and a women's MMA match-up between Jami Miller and Tiffany Johnson.

To give you a feel what ICF events and fighters are like, I'm including a number of links to prior articles I've posted on the ICF and their events and fighters, live blogs with pictures and post-event interviews.

- Official Press Release on ICF: Breakout.

- ICF: TurfwaR Live Blog with pics.

- ICF: TurfwaR post-event interviews with Steve Stanton, Dan Christison, Jeremy Pender, Mark Crawn, and Tim Cook.

- ICF: Shattered Lilve Blog with pics.

- ICF: Shattered post-event commentary.

- ICF: Redemption Live Blog.

- ICF: Redemption post-event comments.

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I have enjoyed all the ICF events so far and I'm sure Breakout will be no exception. ICF is the only promotion besides the UFC to host an event at US Bank Arena.

Rich Franklin and Jens Pulver will be on hand to sign autographs and meet with fans.

The weigh-ins will be Friday night at the Eastgate Hooters, from 7-9pm.

More details on the event and all facets of the ICF can be found on their website.

-PreView

(Originally posted on FightTicker.com)


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Silver Star Debuts Anderson Silva's Signature UFC 97 Walkout Shirt

Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Luke Burrett, Owner, President and CEO of Silver Star Casting Company. At that time, Silver Star had started to make waves in the sponsorship world by sponsoring Rashad Evans and creating a signature series walkout shirt for him. When I asked Burrett how long he thought it would take for Silver Star to emerge as a pre-eminent brand in MMA, he stated,

"One year. We’ll be the biggest brand in MMA in one year. It’s a bold statement and it’s going to be tough, but that’s my plan."

Check after the jump for info on Silver Star and some of its products.

Since then, Burrett has continued to make news by signing other fighters to do signature series shirts such as GSP, Clay Guida, Jon Jones, Rob Emerson, Karo Parisyan, Sean Sherk and Jeremy Horn. The signing of Anderson Silva marks the third UFC champion to sign a deal for a signature series shirt.

Burrett also generously sponsored two of the prediction grand prix contests here on FightTicker.com.

Silva's shirt, pictured above, is the first in a signature series to offer "red" as a color option, and features gold foil in the design, similar to Rashad and GSP's shirts (which have silver foil accents).

Silver Star features a wide range of products from shirts, jeans, hat and various accessories including a large jewelry line (Silver Star started as a jewelry company).

Burrett sent me a few Silver Star shirts, including one of Rashad's signature shirts, and I have to say, I'm pretty impressed. Rashad's shirt does bear resemblance to a prior Silver Star design, but it is definitely a unique one in the MMA world. All the shirts are 100% cotton and the fighters' signature series shirts are more "slim-fit" or "premium-cut" type shirts as opposed to your typical t-shirt - so if you're not going for that tight t-shirt look, you might want to order up a size from what you normally do.

Burrett was a cool guy to talk to, and it wasn't hard to realize early on that he is a true MMA fan who is concerned with taking care of the fighters as much as he can. Signing guys like Jon Jones and Clay Guida also shows that Burrett isn't just out for the exposure through big name champions like Silva, but he's keeping an eye on the fighters who are exciting and entertaining.

I've often heard people complain they don't have a way to buy their favorite fighter's walkout shirt. Burrett is doing what he can to silence those complaints and put his stamp on the world of MMA clothing.

-PreView


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XFC Lightweight Champ John Mahlow Agrees to Battle Rising Star Rafaello Oliveira at XFC 8: “Regional Conflict”

I just received the following Press Release from the XFC, announcing a catchweight match-up between XFC Lightweight Champion John Mahlow and up-and-comer Rafaello Oliveira. Normally I would just post the press release, but I wanted to point out that Mahlow previously mentioned this match-up as a possibility in my interview with him after XFC 7 where Mahlow served as a commentator.

Check after the jump for the full Press Release.

From the press release:

Knoxville, TN (4/6/09): The XFC announced today that lightweight world champion John “The Mulatto Mauler” Mahlow will battle fast-rising Brazilian prospect Rafaello “The Tractor” Oliveira at XFC 8: “Regional Conflict” on Saturday, April 25, at the 21 thousand-capacity Thompson-Boling Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee. The event will be televised live nationwide, exclusively on HDNet.

Instead of fighting at the lightweight limit of 155 pounds, the two men agreed to a “catchweight” of 160 pounds. If Oliveira wins, he’s guaranteed an immediate rematch against Mahlow for the XFC lightweight world title.

Considered one of MMA’s most tenacious tacticians, Mahlow’s high-energy offensive assault and smothering ground game has propelled the American Top Team fighter and trainer to the cusp of stardom. Since losing a tightly-contested split decision to WEC title contender Jeff Curran in May of 2007, Mahlow has gone 5-1, including 2-0 in the XFC. In his last three fights, Mahlow has defeated Eben “The Big O” Oroz, stopped UFC’s “Fight Night 13” veteran Ryan Roberts, and submitted Belator’s Luis Palomino in the fifth and final round of their XFC championship bout in December. Mahlow’s victory over Palomino attracted a particularly high level of media interest, especially after ex-UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Nogueira publicly declared Palomino to be his “personal protégé” and a future world champion.

“I might be the reigning XFC lightweight champion, but I still train every single day like I’m the underdog,” explained John Mahlow from his Ft. Lauderdale, Florida training camp. “That’s the attitude that earned me this title – and the attitude that’ll let me keep it for a long time to come. Both inside and outside the cage, I’ll outwork you. I’ll train harder. I’m willing to absorb more punishment than you. And I understand the intricacies of the sport better than almost anyone else ‘cause I spend more time studying the sport than almost anyone else. Oliveira is a dangerous opponent, but I’ve reached the point in my career where I’m legitimately one of the elite fighters in the game, and I can’t wait to show MMA fans from coast-to-coast what ‘The Mulatto Mauler’ is all about.”

The Brazilian-born Rafaello Oliveira (7-1) made his XFC debut at XFC 7: “School of Hard Knox” on February 20, submitting Robert Thompson via triangle choke 4:50 in the first round; Thompson was 5-0 at the time. His one career loss was the byproduct of a doctor’s stoppage (cuts) on the undercard of the “ShoXC Elite Challenger Series” on Showtime in October of 2008. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu [BJJ] black belt now fighting out of Premier Martial Arts in Knoxville, Tennessee, Oliveira also trains one-on-one with UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn in Hawaii, serving as Penn’s sparring partner for his past three title fights.

“John Mahlow is a great champion and a good guy,” said Oliveira. “I respect him and thank him for this opportunity. But as much as I respect him, I also think I’m the better fighter. I’m faster, stronger and hungrier – and if John’s strategy is to outwork me, he’s going to be in a lot of trouble because I’m already in peak physical condition. If his strategy is to trick me, that won’t work either – because after sparring a few thousand rounds with B.J. Penn, I’m ready for anything. The way I see it, I’m now only two fights away from becoming the next XFC lightweight world champion. John had a good run, but April 25 will be Rafaello Oliveira’s official coming out party.”

Mahlow sat cageside for Oliveira’s victory over Thompson, handling color commentating duties for the XFC broadcast. He remembers being deeply impressed with Oliveira’s strength, athleticism and BJJ – but steadfastly claims that he was by no means intimidated.

“Oliveira has a lot of natural athletic gifts and an unusually high ceiling as a prospect, but he’s not a student of the game like I am,” Mahlow said. “And I’m betting that my capacity for absorbing punishment is greater than his ability to inflict it. Mahlow versus Oliveira is gonna be like two racecars smashing into each other at full speed. Yeah, I’m gonna get hurt in the collision, but he’s gonna get hurt real bad, too. And when we reach the second-half of the fight, I’m gonna take him to the deep end of the pool and drown him.”

XFC 8: “Regional Conflict” features the fastest-rising young prospects and top emerging superstars from Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky and North Carolina in a series of contender-versus-contender cage fights. Tickets are now available at the Thompson-Boling Arena box office and Tickets Unlimited outlets, including Cat's Music, Disc Exchange, and Fye Music.

###

About Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC): Xtreme Fighting Championships – better known to MMA fight fans worldwide as the XFC – is the Southeast’s leading independent MMA promotion, and stages the largest live shows in the entire sport this side of the UFC. Dedicated to launching the careers of the MMA superstars of tomorrow, the XFC’s next mega-event, XFC 8: “Regional Conflict,” takes place on April 25 at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, and will be broadcast live on national television, exclusively on HDNet. For more information about the XFC, please visit www.mmaxfc.com.


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FightTicker.com Exclusive: Interview With School of Fight Co-Owner London Arevalo

I first met London Arevalo at an ICF show in Florence, KY where School of Fight was one of the vendors. I saw that School of Fight had some interesting themes for their shirts and I was pleasantly surprised to see Arevalo really make it a point to interact with everyone that stopped by the School of Fight table. In conjunction with sponsoring FightTicker.com's UFN 18 Prediction contest, Arevalo took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions about this up-and-coming company.



FightTicker: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Do you have a background in combat sports?

London Arevalo: I’m London Arevalo Co-Owner and Creative Director for School of Fight. I have the cool job of creating apparel designs for fighters and fans alike.

Yeah, I’ve actually been training in martial arts since I was about four. I started competing in Olympic (knockout) Tae Kwon Do at 16 and fought pretty much all over the world representing the U.S.. I’ve been training in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for about five years now at Walker MMA, and with Kevin Rhinehart and Aaron Morris who teach under the great Royler Gracie at Ground Level. My Brother in-Law also trains and has fought a few times as a lightweight himself. He’s also helped me train for national and international competition. We pretty much live for this stuff!

FT: Tell us a little bit about School of Fight. What made you want to start the company? How did you decide on that name?

Arevalo: Our goal at School of Fight is to create cutting edge apparel for the martial arts fighter and fan. We believe in designing a look and product that truly represents what mixed martial arts is all about.

We originally thought about getting more involved in the sport a few years ago. Then after getting a little more experience designing apparel we decided that the time was right to start production and give it a try.

To be honest my wife came up with it [the name]! We wanted to tie the continuous learning process that takes place in the world of MMA and Martial Arts in general with the sport, but say it in an original way.

FT: In a time where we see clothing companies popping up (and often failing) every day, what makes School of Fight one of the companies that’s going to last? What kinds of things is S.O.F. doing to ensure its long-term success?

Arevalo: Our priority is to build our foundation. It is built on honesty, quality, determination, and perseverance we don’t want to try to rush anything. We also strive to produce a quality product for our fans. We hand test our products and run double quality control to make sure its right. These qualities will help us become successful.

FT: Do you currently sponsor any fighters?

Arevalo: Our first professional MMA fighter is Neal “The Rhino” Craft out of Walker MMA. We also sponsor amateurs like Thomas “Da Monkey King” Woodall. We are currently in negotiations with other professional and amateur fighters, but we are looking for people that represent what we’re about. You know, the type of fighter that if they do lose will pick up the pieces, learn from it, and train even harder for the next fight.

FT: How do you feel about the level of business School of Fight is currently doing? Is it where you thought it would be at this point?

Arevalo: Yes. We’re pleasantly surprised. The business is growing at a faster pace than we originally accepted. We’re making great contacts, meeting a lot of people, and most importantly getting great feedback on our designs from the MMA fans.

FT: What were some of the challenges you faced when getting started?

Arevalo: In the beginning, we had the challenge of finding printers. We also had the challenge of finding venues and determining which designs we should produce.

FT: I first ran into the School of Fight guys at an Intimidation Cage Fighting show – what are some of the shows School of Fight sends vendors to? At what shows can fans find you in the future?

Arevalo: Right now, we’re concentrating on shows in the Midwest. We’ll be back in our hometown Dayton, Ohio for the Warrior Combat and Warfare fight series show on April 18th. We also look forward to doing more ICF shows as well. Our website and Myspace are always updated with upcoming shows that we’ll be attending. Be sure to check them often!

FT: How does the level of business you do at these shows compare to the business you do via your website?

Arevalo: Currently, we do the majority of our sales at the show. Thanks to sites like Fightticker.com and the support of fans throughout the country, schooloffight.com is now creating its own buzz. We’re also receiving a lot of web response from Facebook and Myspace. Feel free to check us out there too.

FT: What kinds of challenges do you face running a company like S.O.F.?

Arevalo: There’s always a challenge meeting deadlines, finding suppliers, managing inventory, and promoting our websites and products.

FT: What is your day-to-day role in the company?

Arevalo: I’m considered the Creative Director for our company. So I do a lot of the design work along with my Brother in-law Carlton who’s an awesome media guy and designer as well. I also handle some of the P.R. stuff with my wife Natalyn and the Boss Carlene Davis (The President), but we are a family-owned business. We all contribute our equal parts in order to make School of Fight successful.

FT: What do you want to see happen with S.O.F. a year from now?

Arevalo: I’d like for the company to continue to grow, the fans continue to support it, sponsormore fighters, and become a bigger part of the sport.

FT: Thanks for your willingness to talk to me – and thanks for agreeing to sponsor a giveaway here on FightTicker. Is there anyone you’d like to take some time to thank?

Arevalo: We always thank God for our strength. I’d also like to thank Kru Walker of Walker MMA, Mark Smith of Warfare Fight Series, Steve Stanton of the ICF, School of Advertising Art, and all the fans, friends, and family for their support. Of course, we’d like to give special thanks to Fightticker.com for this opportunity.

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Like I said, Arevalo is a great guy. Thanks again to Arevalo and School of Fight for the interview and sponsoring the contest. In addition to their website, you can also find School of Fight on Facebook and MySpace.

-PreView


(Originally posted on FightTicker.com)

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FightTicker.com Exclusive: Junie Browning Discusses Upcoming Fight With Cole Miller

I recently caught up with Junie Browning (via phone) after he'd arrived in Nashville for his upcoming fight against Cole Miller. Junie took some time out of his schedule to discuss his upcoming fight with Miller as well as his move to Xtreme Couture.

Check after the jump for the full interview

FightTicker: Just a few days out from your fight with Cole Miller, how are you feeling?

Junie Browning: I feel awesome. I'm actually walking around Nashville now.

FT: How did you training camp go?

Browning: It was awesome. I did everything I did in this camp for the last one plus some.

FT: A colleague of mine on FightTicker, John Buhl (aka jmb35) recently interviewed Cole Miller and Cole said he plans to beat you wherever the fight goes and that he thinks he's a way better fighter than you except maybe in wrestling - how do you feel about that?

Browning: Ah, he'll see. We'll see about that. I think he's been playing way too many video games, he's been getting too many of those combos, and that's not real life. He'll see. This isn't "Street Fighter," the good guy doesn't always win [Laughs].

FT: So you've implied you're the bad guy - you seem to have a really different approach to training and things now than you did on the show, how's training been going for you since you left the show?

Browning: The training out here [Las Vegas] is awesome. It's extreme training scenarios for extreme fighters, I think. There's no reason you can't get good out here. You can get good by default.

FT: Why Xtreme Couture?

Browning: It wasn't necessarily even Xtreme Couture, it was really Shawn Thompkins. Plus Xtreme Couture has the best Lightweights there are.

FT: Do you still train at 4 Seasons at all?

Browning? Nah, that was a good camp and stuff, but I had to be around more people who take it a little bit more seriously. Everyone out here [in Vegas] is more professional, people back home just do it for a hobby. This is something - being in the UFC isn't something you can just do part time, do for fun or do it for a hobby, you have to do it like a job. I'm out in Vegas for good now. It's just something I felt I had to do. You're part of the people you associate with and back home, they want to do it for fun and I couldn't treat it like that anymore, I couldn't treat it like a game anymore.

FT: What do you think about Miller in general?

Browning: I don't know much about him so I can't make any comments about him. I think all the stuff he's saying is to hype it up and stuff, to convince himself but I think he really knows what the outcome is going to be. I'm not Andy Wang or Jeremy Stephens.

FT: What about Miller's win over Jorge Gurgel?

Browning: I think Gurgel was beating the crap out of him, but he just made a mistake - anything can happen in a fight, but I feel like Gurgel was pretty much dominating him until the end of the fight.

FT: Your conditioning appears to have improved leaps and bounds since you left the show - is a rematch with Efrain Escudero something you'd be interested in?

Browning: Yeah, I'd do it right now out here on the street if I could just to show him that wasn't even me at 30 or 40% when I was on the show.

FT: So you think you're at 100% now?

Browning: Yeah, definitely.

FT: Your brother Rob ended up with a spot on TUF - when he was going for the tryouts, what kind of advice did you give him?

Browning: I just told him don't drink as much as I did, have fun, it's something you experience once in your life so make the best of it. Try and get your name out there as much as possible and try not to lose.

FT: So is this going to be something we see in the future, the Browning brothers going on a tear in the UFC like the Miller brothers have?

Browning: [Laughs]. That would be cool. He hasn't really told me much about the show. I don't even know what necessarily happens on it, but I know we'll be the most insane people ever on the show.

FT: You've said in some other recent interviews you haven't been drinking or partying, anything like that - what have you been up to besides training?

Browning: Just playing videogames mostly. Watch some movies, I try to concentrate on fighting. I don't really go out or anything, too many distractions and temptations and stuff so I just try to avoid it completely, stay home, play videogames and have a lot of sex.

FT: So you don't buy into the whole abstinence before a fight idea?

Browning: No, that's an old boxing rumor, that's not true at all. I actually think it would hurt you not to have sex before a fight.

FT: The videogames, the not going out - is that just fight prep or are you not going out at all?

Browning: It's not going to be like this year-round. As soon as this fight's over, I'm going to go get drunk and have some fun, you know what I mean? It's almost like a reward to yourself for training so hard, but 2-3 months out, I won't drink or party anything, I totally avoid it. Or if I do go out, I don't drink, I just hang out with friends.

FT: Do you think you're ever going to get past the reputation you set for yourself on TUF, or is that something you don't have a problem with?

Browning: Nah, I don't really care. Some people like it, some people hate it, I don't really care. I don't think there's really anything I have to do to get rid of that reputation. When people see me fight a few more times people will realize I'm not the same person.

FT: About fighting a few more times - where do you see yourself in the UFC's Lightweight division now?

Browning: I'm the best looking guy in the Lightweight division, I know that [Laughs]. Time will tell. I don't believe I'm even close to being one of the top guys right now, but I think I have the most potential and within the next few years, I could beat anybody.

FT: Thanks for your time Junie - is there anybody you want to thank?

Browning: Denaro Sports Marketing and TapouT.

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Browning was a nice guy to talk to - when I messaged him about the interview, he responded almost immediately. At the weigh-in for tomorrow's UFN 18 event, it appears that Browning wasn't even the one playing the "bad boy" role. Here is a video of his and Miller's weigh-ins.

-PreView

(Originally posted on FightTicker.com)




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ICF Welcomes Pure Romance as a Sponsor for April 11th Event at U.S. Bank Arena

From a Press Release:

Steve Stanton is proud to announce that Pure Romance will be a sponsor on April 11th at U.S. Bank Arena. "We are very excited to have Pure Romance in the house at U.S. Bank Arena on April 11th, they are a perfect addition to the biggest show MMA fans have seen here since UFC 77 in November of 2007. We hope to continue and build this relationship with one of Cincinnati's greatest small business success stories."

Check after the jump for the full Press Release.

Pure Romance is an in-home party company which offers an exclusive line of heighteners, lubricants and bedroom accessories for relationship enhancement. In a little over a decade, Pure Romance has grown into a multi-million dollar company, bringing in $43 million in retail sales during 2004 alone.

Based in Cincinnati with 80 full-time employees, Pure Romance operates out of a state-of-the-art facility comprised of a 40,000-square-foot distribution center and a 10,000-square-foot Corporate Office.

To learn more visit their website at PureRomance.com

www.ICFMMA.com


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XFC 8: “Regional Conflict” Main Event Now a World Championship Title Fight

From a Press Release:

Knoxville, TN: The XFC announced today that the highly-anticipated featherweight showdown between undefeated Bruce “The Noose” Connors (6-0) of Orlando, Florida and Jarrod “The Wild Card” Card (9-2-1) of Jacksonville, North Carolina will now be for the XFC featherweight world championship. The two 145-pound fighters will battle in the main event of XFC 8: “Regional Conflict” on Saturday, April 25, at the 21 thousand-capacity Thompson-Boling Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee. The event will be televised live nationwide, exclusively on HDNet.

Check after the jump for the full press release, including the announcement of a special guest.

Rising heavyweight contender Bobby Lashley (2-0) will be at XFC 8 as a special guest, and the former two-time ECW world champion will present the custom-designed world title to the winner.

“I’ve gone on record as saying that Bruce Connors is the best featherweight I’ve ever seen outside of the WEC,” said XFC president John Prisco, “but Card is a tremendous natural athlete with a ferocious mean streak, and I’d actually give him a slight edge in power and experience. We’ve only crowned two other world champions in the history of the XFC [lightweight champion John Mahlow and bantamweight champion Jason Goodall], and it’s because we’re fanatically protective of the sanctity of our title belts. Whoever wins this fight will be a champion in the full sense of the word. Connors versus Card is a matchup that industry insiders are just salivating over, and it’s one of the most compelling fights that the XFC has ever had the privilege of promoting.”

XFC 8 features the fastest-rising young prospects and top emerging superstars from Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky and North Carolina in a series of contender-versus-contender cage fights. The combined professional and amateur records of all fighters currently assigned bouts is 130-22. “That means our fighters will enter the cage with a winning percentage of over 85 percent,” noted Prisco. “That’s virtually unheard of in today’s MMA, but this card is just loaded with do-or-die matchups between the top young talent in the entire Southeast. These are the champions of tomorrow – and the next generation of Mixed Martial Artists.”

Bruce Connors served two tours in Kosovo and Afghanistan as a sniper scout with the U.S. Marines – and later utilized his elite combat skills as an officer with the Florida police department’s SWAT [Special Weapons and Tactics] team. Training out of Gracie Barra Orlando, Connors exploded onto the MMA scene with a 6-0 record, earning multi-fight contract offers from numerous national promotions. All of Connors’ six wins are by first-round knockout or submission.

“A world title represents the ultimate achievement for anyone in the fight game,” said Connors, “because it means that you’re the absolute best at what you do. It’s the pinnacle of a fighters’ career and the reason why we push our bodies beyond the breaking point every day in training camp. I learned a little bit about mental toughness on the battlefields overseas, so I really hope I’ll be able to maintain focus on Jarrod Card and concentrate on executing my game plan, but I won’t lie to you: Fighting for the XFC world title on live TV is a dream come true, and I can’t help but smile from ear-to-ear when I think about what it would be like to wear that belt around my waist. On April 25, I’ll pay any price to win that championship.”

His opponent, Jarrod Card, also has a strong military background: Formerly a member of the U.S. Navy, Card currently works with the Marines at Fort Lejeune as a civilian contractor and aircraft expert. In his most recent fight, Card battled Jeff “Little Popeye” Bedard, a three-fight veteran of the WEC, where “Little Popeye” went 2-1. Bedard entered the bout with a sterling 9-1 record, but was quickly overwhelmed by Card’s lightning-fast hands and offensive onslaught. Card decimated Bedard, forcing the corner of “Little Popeye” to throw in the towel at the end of round one.

“In the eyes of the media, I was the underdog against Jeff Bedard, and according to the media I’ll be the underdog once again when I fight Bruce Connors,” said Card. “But that’s just perception. In reality, there are no favorites and there are no underdogs once the steel cage door swings shut and the bell chimes. All that matters is who fights harder – and whose heart is bigger. I’ve got nothing negative to say about Bruce. He’s a class act and a great young fighter. But I know me, and when we lock horns in the center of the cage – with the XFC featherweight world title on the line – I honestly don’t see how he can survive. I want that championship belt so badly, I can taste it. It’s the first thing I thing I think about when I wake up in the morning – and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep at night. Maybe it’s becoming an unhealthy obsession, but I need that title. He’ll have to break me to take it.”

Johnny Najjar is the president of Masis Boxing Belts, a family-run business that’s been the preeminent designer and manufacturer of world titles for over 60 years. His belts have been worn by every major boxing champion of the past half-century, including Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and now the Klitschko brothers. Najjar is personally hand-designing the XFC featherweight world title belt, and according to Najjar, his not-yet-completed creation will symbolize the sacrifice and discipline required to become a world champion.

“This is more than a trophy; it’s a work of art – an 18-karat gold-plated masterpiece!” exclaimed Najjar. “Over 200 man-hours will go into the XFC championship title. Its magnificent design truly symbolizes the bravery and fearlessness of the modern day MMA gladiator. Since the age of Pharaohs in ancient Egypt, championship belts have symbolized that – for just one fleeting moment in time – the title-holder has achieved true greatness and everlasting immortality. I know that Bruce Connors and Jarrod Card will put each other through hell and back to win the XFC featherweight world championship – and whoever prevails will have a title belt worthy of the occasion, I promise you that!”

XFC 8: “Regional Conflict” takes place on April 25 at Knoxville’s Thompson-Boling Arena. Tickets are now available at the Thompson-Boling Arena box office and Tickets Unlimited outlets, including Cat's Music, Disc Exchange, and Fye Music.

###

About Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC): Xtreme Fighting Championships – better known to MMA fight fans worldwide as the XFC – is the Southeast’s leading independent MMA promotion, and stages the largest live shows in the entire sport this side of the UFC. Dedicated to launching the careers of the MMA superstars of tomorrow, the XFC’s next mega-event, XFC 8: “Regional Conflict,” takes place on April 25 at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, and will be broadcast live on national television, exclusively on HDNet. For more information about the XFC, please visit www.mmaxfc.com.


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Forrest Petz Replaces Shonie Carter in ICF: Breakout Main Event

From a Press Release:

"Mr. International" Shonie Carter will be cut from the main event after breaking his arm in training. Carter's replacement will be former UFC fighter Forrest Petz. Petz, who holds wins over Charles "Crazy Horse" Bennett, Sam Morgan, and Luigi Fioravanti, will now face undefeated Victor O'Donnell in the co-main event. The last time Petz fought in Cincinnati was against Joshua Burkman at UFC 77 at U.S. Bank Arena.

You can find the full Press Release after the jump.


Two former UFC fighters will battle in the co-main event as well. Dan "The Sandman" Christison will challenge Marcio "Pe de Pano" Cruz in a heavyweight bout that is set to be a classic. Both fighters are jui jitsu experts with Cruz being a world champion.

Cincinnati favorite Chad "H-Bomb" Hinton will challenge former UFC fighter Jeff Cox. Hinton is looking to defend his undefeated record against Cox in front of his hometown fans.

Another Cincinnati local and Ultimate Fighter 7 star Luke Zachrich will now take on Robert Thompson. Thompson has a record of 7-3 while Zachrich is 8-1.
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FightTicker Exclusive: ICF TurfwaR Post-Event Interview With ICF Promoter Steve Stanton

The final post-event interview I did after the recent ICF: TurfwaR event was with ICF Promoter, Steve Stanton. As usual, Steve put on a great show and took some time out from his busy evening to talk with me after the event. Stanton’s next show will be ICF: Breakout, April 11th at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, OH. A number of FightTicker.com members will be fighting on that card - you can find the full fight card here.

Check after the jump for the interview.

FightTicker: How’d you feel about the event tonight?

Steve Stanton: It went good, went good. Had a good crowd show up. We’re really promoting the April 11th show, but I love Turfway, it’s my home. We’re really excited to get to US Bank Arena, that’s what we’re really focusing on right now.

FT: Obviously you’ve got some good fighters in your stable – Jeremy Pender had a big win tonight and he’s making his pro debut on April 11th. Another of your fighters, Victor O’Donnell, was in the crowd tonight, he’s fighting Shonie Carter on the 11th, multiple former UFC guys lined up for your guys to face – how are you feeling going into it?

Stanton: It’s – I can’t even believe it’s my card sometimes. [Laughs]. I get on my website and start looking at all the fighters that are going to be out there, and I’m like, “Man, that’s crazy.” I think it’s good for the Cincinnati/Northern KY area. For a promoter, a small guy like me, to take a chance – I just hope the people come out and support fighters – we all need your [the public’s] help.

FT: You’re opening up 6,500 seats for the event – what kind of sales are you expecting?

Stanton: We plan on selling it out, man. That’s the thing, we’re not going there to do 3,000-4,000, we want 6,500.

FT: This is a huge show for the ICF and a huge show for the area. What do you think it’s going to do for the ICF and mma in the area?

Stanton: First of all, I just want to take care of these fighters and get them good fights and help their careers, because it’s about the fighters and that’s where a lot of promoters fall by the wayside. Without them [the fighters], we’re nothing. You can have the best lights, the best sound, the best cage, and spend the most money on advertising, but without the fighters and fans, we’re nothing – and that’s my main concern, taking care of the fighters and making the fans happy. I think it’ll help – anywhere I go – if I go to the US Bank Arena and sell out, that will help us with the other venues [where the ICF hosts shows] so it will be good for everybody.

FT: Jami Miller was supposed to fight tonight and her opponent backed out, but you’ve got Tiffany Johnson booked to fight her on the 11th – what do you think about this fight?

Stanton: She’s [Johnson] willing to take it, she signed and she’s in and it’s a done deal. Nobody even knows about that fight [on the official card], I’m just going to toss that one in on the card as a surprise for everybody. These girls are good, and fun to watch.

FT: How soon after the April 11th show do you think you’ll be back at US Bank Arena?

Stanton: August. Then we’re going to do a big charity event with Hooters and UFCW Local 1099, we just landed them as our title sponsor. They’re a big union, a big sponsor. We’re looking at a couple different charities. We’ve got a lot of big stuff coming up.

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Rich Franklin and Jens "Lil Evil" Pulver will also be on hand at ICF: Breakout to meet the fans and watch the show. I'll be there live-blogging for FightTicker.com. It's going to be a great show - a lot of tough fighters and lot of good match-ups.

You can find the ICF's website here and MySpace page here.

-PreView


(Originally posted on FightTicker)

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FightTicker Exclusive: ICF TurfwaR Post-Event Interview With Dan "The Sandman" Christison

After the recent ICF: TurfwaR event, I caught up with Dan Christison to see what he had to say about his 36-second TKO victory over Brion Peoples. Christison can next be seen in action against another UFC vet, Marcio “Pe de Pano” Cruz at the upcoming ICF: Breakout event, April 11th at US Bank Arena.

Much like when I caught up with Christison after his submission victory over Steve Banks at ICF: Redemption, he was more than willing to take some time to talk to me and had some great things to say.

You can find the full interview after the jump.

FightTicker: How did you feel going into the fight?

Dan Christison: Actually, fairly nervous. I didn’t really get too much information on Brion – it was real difficult, everybody spells his name wrong or different, things like that, so I was “Googling” like a thousand different ways trying to do any research on his name and couldn’t find much of anything. Usually with the research you try to find out at least the basics of what the person is going to do, then you cut them off. You give them less and less options until you give them the option you want them to take and then you capitalize on their mistakes, it’s that simple. That’s what I was looking forward to, but not finding any information is actually more terrifying than knowing what your opponent is going to do [Laughs], so I was a big nervous going into this.

FT: You have a fight coming up against Marcio Cruz on April 11th at US Bank Arena – what are you thinking about going into that fight?

Christison: Against Marcio, it’s different because everybody has a different goal and series of moves they want to get to, a point they want to get to where they’re an expert. Obviously with Marcio it’s with his jiu jitsu, but he’s got to get me there. He’s a black in jiu jitsu, I’m a black belt in jiu jitsu. He’s a world champion black belt in jiu jitsu, that’s the difference. As far as that goes, it’s pretty obvious – he wants to get me to the ground and submit me and I don’t want to let him get to his element, I want to get him to an element where I’m superior. Simple as that.

FT: You’ve got your own school now, The Sandbox, and you had a lot of guys from Team Sandbox here tonight – who all are you working with for the Cruz fight?

Christison: I’m working with Jake O’Brien, and I also work with Josh Johnson from Luiz Palhares jiu jitsu – he’s got a school down in Bowling Green [KY] and Elizabethtown [KY]. Phenomenal people to work with and they all are getting me ready.

FT: The April 11th event is going to be a big one, possibly upwards of 6,000 people there – what are you thinking about getting in front of that kind of crowd again?

Christison: It’s pretty much just another day at the office. The weird thing is, like when you go to a football game or any kind of stadium, if you look at the crowd, you can see the people next to you, but you look across the stadium and you just see a wall of people, it doesn’t even look real. It’s the same type of thing. It’s not the first time I’ve fought on the world stage or the national stage, it’s just another day at the office.

FT: Another main event for ICF tonight and another on April 11th – are you going to be working out an exclusive deal with them or do you just enjoy fighting for them so you keep coming back?

Christison: I look at fighting as a long-term thing, it’s not a short-term thing, you can’t go out there and win every fight. But what you do, in your career, is you work on the things you have to work on. So as you mature as a fighter, as you get better, you get to bring all different aspects of martial arts, be it boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, submission wrestling, brining all those components together and being able to flawlessly, seamlessly transition from one to the other without any apparent effort, and as a person let’s say you’re weak in one area. If you build up that one area, it makes everything stronger. So as I progress in my career, I’ve found that at one point in time, I was on the national stage, then I got an injury, and I took the opportunity to step away from the national stage and come back and do the grass-roots shows and build my career back up, working on the things I needed to work on, and now I feel like I have a very well-rounded game. There’s really nowhere I can go where I’m not comfortable.

FT: On the promo video for ICF: Breakout, one of things you said was that every day you ask yourself, “Am I becoming a better martial artist?” Is that your overarching training philosophy?

Christison: Very much so, it’s a training philosophy and a life philosophy. If you were to look at something in nature, like a shark for example, if a shark stops moving, they die. In what we do, we’re sharks, and we have to continually evolve. When you evolve, you live because you evolve around a particular set of circumstances or setbacks – you evolve to become a better fighter, a better person, a better martial artist, whatever you want. But it’s all evolving, you’re not saying at any point in time, “Well, I think I know it all, I have every answer, there’s nothing I have left to learn.” When you feel like you know it all, that’s when you die. When they say the statement, “The pride comes before the fall,” that’s right then and there. As soon as someone believes they know it all, that’s when their fall is imminent.

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You can find Christison on Myspace here and his school, The Sandbox, here.

-PreView


(Originally posted on FightTicker.com)

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Official Statement from Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) on the Bobby Lashley Rumor

From a Press Release:

From XFC president John Prisco:

“It’s come to our attention that a rumor has started circulating that Bobby Lashley will be fighting Marcus Jones at XFC 8: ‘Regional Conflict’ on Saturday, April 25 – a show featuring the fastest-rising young prospects and top emerging superstars from Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky and North Carolina in contender-versus-contender bouts, airing exclusively nationwide on HDNet. That rumor is false, and no such statement was ever issued by the XFC, Bobby Lashley, or Bobby Lashley’s manager.

(Check after the jump for the full Press Release.)

“It is true that the XFC and Bobby Lashley have had numerous conversations, and both parties hope to find a way to work together in the very near future. Bobby has publicly stated his interest in fighting for the XFC, and we can confirm that the interest is mutual. We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship.

“The XFC hopes Bobby Lashley – and MMA fans nationwide – enjoy XFC 8 ‘Regional Conflict’ on April 25, as it airs live from the 21 thousand-capacity Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, exclusively on HDNet. For more information, please visit www.mmaxfc.com.”

###

XFC 8: “Regional Conflict” takes place on April 25 at Knoxville’s Thompson-Boling Arena. Tickets are now available at the Thompson-Boling Arena box office and Tickets Unlimited outlets, including Cat's Music, Disc Exchange, and Fye Music.


About Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC): Xtreme Fighting Championships – better known to MMA fight fans worldwide as the XFC – is the Southeast’s leading independent MMA promotion, and stages the largest live shows in the entire sport this side of the UFC. Dedicated to launching the careers of the MMA superstars of tomorrow, the XFC’s next mega-event, XFC 8: “Regional Conflict,” takes place on April 25 at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, and will be broadcast live on national television, exclusively on HDNet. For more information about the XFC, please visit www.mmaxfc.com.


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