M-1 Inks Deal With HDNet Fights

M-1 Global, the Russian-based organization run by Vadim Finklestein, has announced that it have come to terms on an agreement with HDNet to broadcast future events on the digital cable network.

According to a press release sent out to the media today, the network will televise the 2008 season of the M-1 Challenge starting on September 19. Although they have yet to make an official announcement, HDNet Fights confirmed the deal on their website this evening.

In addition to HDNet, those outside of North America will be able to watch M-1 programming in Africa (GTV), Korea (CBS), Brazil, (SporTV), the Philippines (Solar), and India (ZEE) as well. The promotion has featured the likes of Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Ansar Chalangov, and Gegard Mousasi in recent events.

WEC Could Be Headed to Mexico City

If Urijah Faber and Leonard Garcia are victorious in their respective fights at World Extreme Cagefighting’s upcoming September 10 event in Hollywood, Florida, the two could potentially meet in a featherweight title showdown in Mexico.

Garcia revealed on today’s edition of TAGG Radio that the WEC has already scheduled a press conference featuring himself and Faber for the third week of September in Mexico City, where the WEC may be planning to hold a show in the near future.

“They’re flying me out six days after the (Pulver) fight to Mexico City to do a press conference and to make a huge announcement,” Garcia said on the radio show. “As I understand it, both Urijah and I are going…I think both of us just need to hold up our ends of the bargain on Sept. 10.”

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Rogers Releases Statement on Shamrock-Slice

EliteXC heavyweight contender Brett Rogers, and his camp, Team Bison, have released an official statement concerning EliteXC’s decision to match up Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson against UFC Hall-of-Famer Ken Shamrock on the organization’s October 4 show on CBS.

Rogers was expected to be Slice’s opponent at the event after their altercation following Slice’s controversial win over James Thompson on May 31. At the post-fight press conference, Rogers slammed Slice’s performance, calling it “garbage”. Slice took exception and a near brawl would have occurred if it weren’t for cooler heads prevailing.

In the days and weeks leading up to Monday’s decision, Rogers was still said to be one of EliteXC’s choices to face Slice, along with Shamrock and former UFC and PRIDE standout Don Frye. In the end, EliteXC decided to go with Shamrock, relegating Rogers to a planned November 8th event on Showtime. The official statement from Rogers and his camp can be read at Five Ounces of Pain.

Jackson Has “Lost Respect” for Griffin

In the days following his title loss to Forrest Griffin and before his high-speed chase with police in California, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and his camp considered filing a protest to the Nevada State Athletic Commission concerning the scoring during his defeat at UFC 86.

The protest was never made and despite claiming that he “got his ass kicked” during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Jackson is now publicly stating that he beat Griffin. In his recent comments to Fighters Only Magazine, Jackson showed much disdain towards his fellow ‘TUF’ coach.

“I just want my fans to know, I was at my worst and Forrest was at his best - and I still beat him,” Jackson said. “A man is not a man if he can’t ‘fess up to when he gets his ass kicked. See me, if I get my ass kicked I am like ‘yeah, I got my ass kicked’ [After the fight] I was being sarcastic, because I really could not believe that it went the way it did. I’m not a sore loser, shit happens. But I was hoping that Forrest would be a man and come out and say ‘You know what, I didn’t win that fight’, especially after he watched it.”

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Reports: Cro Cop vs. Overeem at DREAM.6

Multiple Croatian television and print reports are stating that former PRIDE standout Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem will indeed clash at DREAM.6, which will take place on September 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

The reports cite DREAM officials as confirming the bout. The two were previously rumored to be fighting at the event for weeks now but contradicting reports stated that neither fighter would be matched up against each other at the show.

Overeem has long believed that Filipovic was ducking a potential showdown with him. He will now apparently get his wish against a fellow dangerous kickboxer.

Filipovic left the Ultimate Fighting Championship following a disappointing 1-2 stint in the organization, where he was defeated by Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo in consecutive fights. He bounced back to earn a first-round TKO of Tatsuya Mizuno at DREAM.1 in March.

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MFC to Change Weight Classes

The Maximum Fighting Championship has announced it’s decision to change it’s weight classes in the form of dropping it’s heavyweight division and adding the featherweight division to the organization, with the intention of crowning a 145 lb. champion early next year.

The promotion revealed the news Tuesday afternoon. The MFC’s first official featherweight bout will likely take place in November according to MFC President Mark Pavelich, who also has opted to strip MFC heavyweight champion and UFC veteran Scott Junk of his title after a series of recurring injuries have left him unable to defend his belt amidst the folding of his weight class.

“There is such an impressive field of 145ers out there that we felt it was very important to add this weight class and this group of exciting fighters,” Pavelich said. “With what we have done with the lightweights in creating a stellar crew of contenders and up-and-comers, we felt it was very possible to do the same with the featherweights. There are only a few organizations that feature the featherweights and even a smaller number that do it well with some strong fights.”

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Report: Malaipet-Douglas Signed for ShoXC

A lightweight bout between Muay Thai expert Malaipet Team Diamond and budding prospect David Douglas will reportedly take place at the latest edition of ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series, which will take place at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California on September 26th.

Sam Caplan of Five Ounces of Pain has confirmed the matchup with EliteXC VP Jared Shaw. The two were originally slated to compete in a non-televised preliminary bout at EliteXC’s “Unfinished Business” event on July 26, but Malaipet was forced to withdraw from the fight after sustaining an injury during the week prior to the bout.

Malaipet won an unanimous decision over Kaleo Kwan last October before being disqualified in a controversial bout against King of the Cage veteran Thomas Denny in March. Malaipet illegally struck Denny in the back of the neck with elbows and Denny was eventually deemed unable to continue.

Douglas has fought twice in the last month. He stopped replacement opponent Marlon Matias with strikes in the first round of their July 26 bout and followed that performance up with a first-round TKO of William Jacobson at a ShoXC event on August 15.

Affliction Teams With Michael Waltrip Racing

Affliction Entertainment and Michael Waltrip Racing have teamed up to race for the checkered flag in the Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Southern California.

This year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the two-mile D-shaped oval will find Waltrip’s double zero (00) entry, driven by veteran driver Mike Skinner, fully wrapped in Affliction Entertainment’s “Day of Reckoning” graphics promoting the upcoming Oct. 11 MMA Pay-Per-View event from Las Vegas.

The 250-lap event will start at 5 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, Aug. 31 from Auto Club Speedway in San Bernardino County, Calif. and will be shown on ABC TV via ESPN-ABC Sports.

“Affliction is proud to make racing history as the first MMA organization to sponsor a car in NASCAR,” said Tom Atencio, vice president of Affliction Entertainment. “NASCAR fans are huge supporters of MMA and this is a great collaboration for both sports.”

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Back to the Future: Recap Edition

Here’s a little recap of what we might have missed over the past few days or so…

Gomi, Trigg Win at Sengoku IV

Former PRIDE standouts Takanori Gomi and Frank Trigg were victorious in their respective bout Sunday morning at World Victory Road’s “Sengoku IV” event in Japan. Gomi earned a decision over Seung Pang Hwan while Trigg went all three rounds with Makoto Takimoto.

Former IFL lightweight champion Ryan Schultz was upset in the first round of World Victory Road’s inaugural lightweight grand prix, losing via knockout to Mizuto Hirota. Kazunori Yokota, Eiji Mitsuoka, Satoru Kitaoka all also moved on to the tournament’s next round.

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The Jento Baby Confirmation

That’s what you do with celeb couples, merge the names, right?  No?  Not here?  Oh well, either way, Jenna Jameson confirmed she’s pregnant to US Magazine.

“Yes, I can confirm I’m pregnant. It’s still early, so I’m being cautious. I’m resting as much as possible,” she tells Usmagazine.com exclusively. “I’m so happy!”

She adds that she and boyfriend of two years, mixed martial arts fighter Tito Ortiz, “are still in a state of shock.

“I’m just saying super healthy,” she says. “I’ve moved down to the beach with Tito — I love being by the beach.”

Fetuses everywhere are lining up to go visit that kid’s mom’s house in 12 years only to wind up being scared off by dad’s negotiating tactics when trying to fight them.