Athletic Commissions

Quick Hits: Huerta Considering UFC Return, Vasquez to Replace Hominick & More

— Despite announcing his intention to focus on his acting career full-time, UFC lightweight contender Roger Huerta is now considering a full-time return to the organization following a split decision loss to Gray Maynard at last week’s UFC Fight Night 19 that fulfilled his latest UFC contract. “I can’t go out with two losses in a row,” Huerts said. “I don’t think I’m going to call it quits anytime soon. I’m still open to acting. Hopefully we get something going with that, but I’m not going to prioritize acting now. I’ll still prioritize fighting. If the UFC wants me back, I’d be willing to go back.” [Sherdog.com]

— Seasoned veteran Javier Vasquez has been tapped to replace an injured Mark Hominick against Deividas Taurosevicius in a featherweight bout at WEC 43 on October 10 in San Antonio, Texas. Hominick will reportedly be sidelined for about a month due to a reoccurring back injury. Vasquez fell in his WEC debut last month, dropping a split decision to L.C. Davis at WEC 42. [MMA Junkie]

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NSAC Approves Instant Replay and Takes Action Against Greasing

The Nevada State Athletic Commission held a meeting last week that saw a new rule get passed allowing referees in Nevada to utilize instant replay.

Also approved was a rule prohibiting the use of a foreign substance on a fighter’s body prior to or during a fight that could result in an unfair advantage. According to MMAWeekly.com, NSAC executive director Keith Kizer said the rules could take effect in as early as 30 days.

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Cole Province Tests Positive Following WEC 42

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has announced that Cole Province tested positive for Methasterone metabolite folowing his bout with Fredson Paixao at WEC 42, which took place on Aug. 9 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to MMAWeekly.com, Methasterone is a “designer steroid” taken orally that is similar to Drostanolone, the steroid that both Hermes Franca and Josh Barnett tested positive for in California.

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Barnett Breaks Silence on Positive Test

Josh Barnett and his management team, Excel Sports Management, have released an official statement to the media regarding Barnett’s recent positive test for steroids under the watch of the California State Athletic Commission.

It marks the first time that Barnett has addressed the media since the test results forced the abrupt cancellation of Affliction’s “Trilogy” show and the subsequent folding of the promotion last week. The complete unedited statement is available after the jump.

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NSAC Suspends Sherk for Post-Fight Exit, Maybe

Following his surprising unanimous decision loss to Frankie Edgar at UFC 98 this past weekend, Sean Sherk has been suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for 45 days. On top of his required medical suspension that is. At least so he says.

Just as Dana White stated after the bout, Sherk literally ran out of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with no shirt, and his fight shorts and gloves still on, neglecting to even give the ringside doctor a second to look him over.

According to Sherk, his emotions were running high and he went outside to take a jog and keep his emotions in check after suffering just the fourth loss of his career and his first defeat to a fighter that hasn’t currently or previously held the UFC welterweight title:

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Penn Not Interested in Fighting in Vegas Again

Just like Sean Sherk after his battle with the California State Athletic Commission over a disputed positive steroids test, UFC lightweight king B.J. Penn now wants no business with the state of Nevada after commission officials recently stated that disciplinary action over UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre’s debated vaseline use during their UFC 94 fight is unlikely.

In his latest video blog (which is above), Penn states that he has “no interest” in ever fighting in Las Vegas or Nevada again and that NSAC figurehead Keith Kizer “can’t be trusted”. Penn also discusses his preparation for his title defense against Kenny Florian, which will come on August 8 in Philadelphia at UFC 101.

CSAC Announces Policy Changes

The California State Athletic Commission today announced several changes to their set of rules and regulations. All changes are set to go into effect immediately and may have quick results in terms of boxing and mixed martial arts events held in the state.

Among the changes include how a fighter may appeal a positive test for a performance enhancing substance or drug of abuse, the amount of tape permitted to be wrapped around a fighter’s wrist, and which fighters will be subjected to pre-fight drug tests.

However the biggest addition to the rules involves the new ability for a bout to be changed to a no-contest regardless of what kind of drug a fighter tests for, including previously non-fight changing substances such as marijuana, cocaine, and pain killers.

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Ken Shamrock Tests Positive for Steroids

It looks like Ken Shamrock’s date with Bobby Lashley later this month won’t be happening after all. (Thank God, seriously) The California State Athletic Commission says that he’s tested positive for three different kinds of steroids following his recent submission win over Ross Clifton and will be sitting on the sidelines for one year:

UFC legend Ken Shamrock has been suspended for one year for testing positive for the steroid Stanozolol, as well as two Nandrolone-based substances, 19-Norandrosterone and 19-Noretiocholanolone, according to a statement issued by the California State Athletic Commission on Wednesday.

Shamrock‘s manager and attorney Rod Donohoo said the fighter has adamantly denied the allegations and will appeal the suspension.

“Ken was taking legal over-the-counter products, and based upon our preliminary research, I’m investigating if those products were the result of these findings,” Donohoo told Sherdog.com on Wednesday.

Here’s another instance of GNC-type supplements supposedly screwing over a fighter, if Shamrock’s claim is true of course. Like I’ve said before, it’s not worth taking them anymore. It seems like anything and everything has traces of banned substances these days.

Luke Thomas thinks that Shamrock’s troubles aren’t “punchline worthy” any longer, and he’s right. One of the sport’s pioneers is fighting well past his prime, embarrassing himself in the process, and tarnishing his legacy with his actions outside of the cage while everyone is sitting back and watching. It’s sad to see.

Evening News and Notes: Couture Agrees to Fight Nogueira; Kelly to Lightweight & More

Here are your news and notes for the evening of February 26, 2009.

Former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy Couture has reportedly agreed to fight former UFC and PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at a planned bout that would tentatively take place at UFC 101 in August. The event could take place in Portland, Oregon. The UFC is currently awaiting a response from Nogueira’s camp.

Georges St. Pierre’s camp has filed a formal response to the allegations B.J. Penn and his trainers made following their fight at UFC 94 on January 31. The complete letter sent to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which was sent yesterday afternoon, can be found here. In the statement, St. Pierre and his camp said that they “did not do anything to jeopardize either Georges’ reputation or the integrity of the sport and have done nothing to violate NSAC rules or to otherwise impugn the outcome of UFC 94”.

British fighter Paul Kelly has apparently made the decision to drop down to the lightweight division following his unanimous decision victory over Troy Mandaloniz at UFC 95 last weekend. “I’m definitely dropping to 155-pounds now,” Kelly told UFC.com. “It makes sense. I was eating a big breakfast on the morning of the weigh-in last Friday. While everyone else is dying to make weight, I’m sitting there with a big bowl of muesli and a glass of orange juice. I’ll just have to cut 10-pounds and that’s it. It’s no big deal.”

UFC 97 in Montreal in Jeopardy?

Crazy story out of Montreal. Apparently, the athletic commission that has overseen MMA in Quebec has decided to strictly enforce a rule they have had on the books for years that disallows elbow and knee strikes in an MMA fight. The French-Canadian sports website RDS has the full story in French, but the gist of it is that Rule #12 which does not allow elbow and knee strikes will now be strictly enforced. Stay tuned for this breaking news story which could affect whether or not UFC 97 takes place in Montreal..

Update 2/13 3:30 AM: According to James Brydon of Sportsnet.ca, the Quebec Athletic Commission has decided to re-visit the rules that currently oversee MMA in the province. In the past, the commission has opted to use the Unified Rules of MMA in North America, but the events surrounding last weekend’s riot at Stephane Patry’s inaugural Strikebox event has forced officials to potentially go back to the drawing board:

Changes the commission may implement could affect UFC 97, the Las Vegas-based promotion’s second event in Canada, which is scheduled for April 18 at the Bell Centre in Montreal and for which tickets went on sale Wednesday.

Sources close to the say these could include a requirement for a much smaller cage than the UFC’s patented Octagon, prohibiting elbow and knee strikes and requiring that the referee halt a bout should a fighter get knocked down from a strike in order to ensure the downed fighter is okay to continue.

Representatives from the commission told Sportsnet.ca the UFC will have to follow the rules set forth by the commission if they wish to hold their show in Montreal. Marc Ratner, the UFC’s vice president of government and regulatory affairs, is fully aware of the new situation and is hopeful that ongoing discussions with the commission will prove that this will not jeopardize the UFC’s return to the province.